Plans to build a new apartment complex in Burlington cleared an important hurdle in the fiscal court Tuesday evening.

The Boone County Fiscal Court conducted the first reading of an ordinance that will rezone a 14.25-acre property from commercial and suburban residential to urban residential.

Continental Properties, a national real estate developer, plans to build a 324-unit apartment complex on the rezoned property.

Todd Morgan, zoning services senior planner at the Boone County Planning Commission, presented Continental Properties development plan to the fiscal court. The plan unanimously approved at a planning commission meeting on Dec. 6.

The property is located at the southwest corner of Burlington Pike and Camp Ernst Road, at the terminus of Beil Road, and across from Patrick Drive. The proposed complex site also affects properties at 2141 Burlington Pike and portions of 6089 and 6091 Camp Ernst Road.

The apartment complex will comprise nine three-story buildings, complete with amenities such as a fenced-in dog park, clubhouse with a pool, pet spa, hammock area, seating areas in between buildings and 552 parking spaces — including 30 detached garage spaces.

Morgan said the complexes will feature four different unit sizes, including 36 studio apartments, 126 one-bedrooms, 126 two-bedrooms and 36 three-bedrooms.

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A project overview of the proposed apartment complex development in Burlington. Photo provided | Boone County Fiscal Court, Bayer Becker

The plan also calls for constructing a new street opposite Patrick Drive that will act as the complex’s entranceway. Developers are awaiting approval from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to install a traffic signal at the intersection that would be created from the construction of the new road.

“The traffic volumes are there today to warrant a traffic signal,” said Katie Dillenburger, a traffic engineer at Bayer Becker — a Mason, Ohio-based civil engineering firm.

Bayer Becker conducted a traffic study to analyze the development’s impact on traffic volumes. Dillenburgur said KYTC is still reviewing the study and crafting recommendations.

Lastly, the court heard a request to relocate Ammon Nursery — Northern Kentucky’s largest plant nursery. The request allows Ammon Nursery to relocate its business to a neighboring 66.53-acre tract of land at 6089 and 6091 Camp Ernst Road.

Their current location would be impacted by the construction of the apartment complex, so the owners instead opted for relocation.

“The application would allow him and Nursery to fully relocate their business onto this portion of the site if the apartments are constructed,” Morgan said.

In the plans, Ammon Nursery will move its existing buildings and structures to the new area, then construct a office/retail store, parking areas, gardens, and greenhouses on the grounds.

“We are in complete agreement with the conditions that have been presented tonight,” said Cameron Miller, Continental Properties director of development.

Kenton is a reporter for LINK nky. Email him at khornbeck@linknky.com Twitter.