The South Williamsport Borough Council Monday approved zoning text amendments its leaders say are designed to get more business growth.

This vote is to give developers “a path of least resistance,” said Steven W. Cappelli, borough manager.

The vote was unanimous for the amendment drafted by Joe Orso, borough solicitor.

The changes cut through “red tape for developers” and make the borough more “business friendly,” Cappelli said.

For example, he said, it broadened areas on the west side of Market Street to include Flamingo Alley. Developers will have the ability to design projects to meet front, rear and off-street parking requirements.

It reached a compromise between members of the borough planning commission and public on conversion of special exceptions to conditional uses. Special exceptions are heard by the zoning hearing board and conditional uses by council.

“We decided to drop the effort to convert special exception requests to conditional uses,” Cappelli said. Conditional uses will remain unchanged.

To allow for more multi-family dwellings, the amendment, upon recommendation of the zoning officer, removed a cap of four apartment units for a multi-family and reached a compromise of a cap of eight and 10 units per acre of vacant land, Cappelli said.

Another change is increasing the maximum commercial height of buildings in the Market and Hastings Street area from 35 feet to 70 feet. The maximum commercial building height will remain 35 feet in the commercial zone. Any proposal to change that may be heard by the borough planning commission.

“We are trying to make permitted use in the town commercial district of Market/Hastings streets consistent with local commercial uses,” Cappelli said.

The zoning changes included items for developers of property on impervious land and building coverage requirements.

The changes are designed for better positioning the borough to increase residential and commercial development, Cappelli said.

Developers may choose the city or Loyalsock Township, or they could favor properties in South Williamsport where zoning will not impede them, he said.

The changes make the zoning law “clear, unambiguous and provide seamless transition between developers and the borough,” Cappelli said.

“We are saying the borough is open for business and developers will find a partner, not an adversary,” he said.