The Bettendorf City Council has given a developer the green light to build high-end, dormitory-style apartments to be marketed to Scott Community College students.

Oxbow Development of Bettendorf plans to build the 129-unit building at 3539 Devils Glen Road, within walking distance of the college's Belmont Road campus. The layout would consist of six one-bedroom, one-bath units; 115 two-bedroom, two-bath units, and eight four-bedroom, four-bath units, for a total capacity of 268 units.

The council unanimously approved the site development plan for the project at Tuesday's meeting. Mayor Mike Freemire asked whether the project had enough parking. Community Development Director Bill Connors said that with 202 spaces, it exceeds the city's requirements.

Nearby property owners had voiced concerns about the project at previous public hearings. They were worried about noise, the demographics of the tenants, liability and other issues.

Alderman Debe LaMar, 3rd Ward, said she was disappointed that some of the concerns seemed to give college students "a bad rap," adding, "from what I've seen, this is a pretty nice development. It could spur growth for some of the neighboring retailers."

Tim Baldwin, a managing partner for Oxbow, said the complex would employ between eight and 10 full-time and part-time employees, with some of them living on site. The complex would offer amenities such as a swimming pool, fitness center with tanning beds, retention pond ringed by a walking trail and a security system.

Although the units will be marketed to college students, the complex will not exclude other people interested in living there. Alan Campbell, a spokesman for Scott Community College, said although the school does not have a financial stake in the project, the college district does support it.

Campbell said most community colleges around the state, including Scott's sister campus, Muscatine Community College, offer such housing options.