By Brenna R. Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

BURLINGTON - A 380-unit apartment and townhome complex will be built near the intersection of Grand National Boulevard and Richwood Road in Boone County.

The Drees Co. won approval for the project from Boone Fiscal Court this week despite objections from residents in the nearby Steeplechase subdivision.

The 38-acre development east of Grand National Boulevard and west of Interstate 75/71 will have two-story and three-story buildings.

Construction is expected to start in spring 2004, with the first residents moving in in spring 2005.

Steeplechase residents fear apartments will bring down their property values and add too much traffic to the area, said Rick Jordan, president on the Steeplechase homeowners association.

But Glen Panoushek, a Drees division manager, said the luxury apartments will fit in with the area. The buildings will have brick or stone faces and rental rates from $650 to $1,200. The complex will offer 12 floor plans from 750 square feet to 1,550 square feet. The entrance to the complex will be on Grand National.

The project needed a zoning change because the site was zoned for commercial development.

Fiscal Court members said they approved the project because they would rather see residential than commercial development in the area.

"I came in here fully intending to vote against this," said Commissioner Cathy Flaig. "But because of the way it is zoned" the county could end up with a higher traffic development, she said.

A traffic study showed the apartments would generate 1,260 trips per day while the commercial use would generate 3,797 trips per day.

But some residents said the area is already too congested for more development.

Judge-executive Gary Moore acknowledged that the area is congested, but said the apartments may actually help.

"Putting more traffic there is going to make the state fix the problem," he said.

Drees agreed to several conditions imposed by county officials, including $13,600 for a traffic signal at Richwood and Grand National Boulevard, building a left turn lane on Grand National and negotiating with the Steeplechase homeowners association to maintain the common areas.

E-mail bkelly@enquirer.com