Residential and commercial development along Bowling Green’s Veterans Memorial Boulevard will soon be getting a boost.

Developers Rodney Rogers and Michael Vitale, among the partners in the newly formed VMP Holdings LLC, won approval Thursday from the City-County Planning Commission of Warren County for a rezoning expected to bring more than 400 dwelling units (apartments and duplexes) and some commercial development to a 75.5-acre tract along Veterans Memorial between Morgantown Road and Glen Lily Road.

The rezoning, still to be approved by Warren Fiscal Court, would change 39.1 acres near Jennings Creek Apartments from agriculture to multi-family residential and change the remaining 36.4 acres to light industrial.

It passed in a 7-0 vote, with commission member Mary Vitale not voting because of her family’s involvement in the development.

A dog park and grilling stations are among the amenities planned for the multi-family section, which will include 18 two-story, 16-unit apartment buildings along with 64 duplexes or “twin homes” on property across the four-lane road from Simply Mulch.

Rogers, CEO of Stewart-Richey Construction, said at the Thursday meeting that the development on property owned by retired physician Richard Wan will help meet a growing need for housing in Warren County and bring housing and businesses to a previously undeveloped section of the roadway.

“This will be the first real development of any kind happening on Veterans Memorial on that side of Morgantown Road,” Rogers said. “It’s adjacent to an existing multi-family development and will be a continuation of that development.

“It will be highly visible and accessible from Veterans Memorial. Everything will be complementary to the adjoining properties.”

Rogers said the residential portion will target renters, but he said: “There could be some owner-occupied duplexes.”

As for the light industrial portion, Rogers said there are many possibilities for those 36 acres.

“We could put an array of service-type businesses in there,” he said. “It could be equipment rental, retail, storage or light manufacturing. There could be a convenience store with this zoning.”

With the Bowling Green area facing a housing crunch brought about largely by some large manufacturing plants coming to the Kentucky Transpark industrial park, Rogers promises to begin work soon on the residential portion.

“We hope to have a development plan completed in early summer,” he said, “then we’ll be starting construction.”

A second rezoning approved at the meeting won’t bring any new residences but is expected to bring more commercial development along busy Scottsville Road near the Plano community.

Property owners Jeff and Valerie Powell, Kassi and Zach Alsup, Summer and Tristan Adams and Krystina and Justin Keen were approved in an 8-0 vote for rezoning 3.546 acres at 5440, 5460, 5480, 5488 and 5538 Scottsville Road from residential estate to general business.

According to the rezoning application, the property across from the Crossroads IGA at 5499 Scottsville Road will be developed “with multiple buildings that will serve various commercial uses.”

A preliminary drawing submitted with the application shows three commercial buildings – one of 4,500 square feet, one of 9,540 square feet and one of 3,550 square feet – but does not include any potential tenants.

Like the Veterans Memorial development, the Scottsville Road rezoning will go to Warren Fiscal Court for final approval.