The Conemaugh Health System continues to eye two sites for its new technology park. One is in Johnstown where city leaders are looking to pave the way for the tech park to be built near the downtown. City officials are looking to get the upper hand and make Conemaugh's decision an easy one. They want to rezone an area around the proposed site in Kernville to make it more attractive for development. The Conemaugh Health System is eyeing the former Sani-Dairy building as a potential site for its new tech park. It's only an 8-acre plot so to build there they would have to build up. That's why the city wants to rezone the area from commercial-2 to commercial-3. City Manager Jeff Silka says that would take away two major road blocks. First, there would no longer be a height restriction on buildings meaning they could build as high as they want. And second, C-3 zoning has no on-site parking requirements. "It's all to make it a more conducive environment for the developer," said Silka. "So by actively changing the zoning to make it compatible to current building expectations, we can avoid any 11th hours bumps." Last minute bumps forced Conemaugh to scrap a plan to build outside Johnstown in Richland Township. That's why Johnstown is making a pre-emptive move to land the new tech park. But Silka also says the zoning change has the potential to create a new commercial corridor along Franklin Street stretching from the downtown all the way to the 8th Ward. "Obviously we'd like to have Conemaugh choose this area, but for the long term this is a very macro approach to our economic development," said Silka. The zoning changes already have the go-ahead from city council and the city's planning commission. The next step would be approval from the residents. A public hearing is set to discuss the matter on September 8th.