City council members held public hearings at their Sept. 1 meeting regarding a new building at Moravian College, including a street vacation and changing the area’s high-density residential zone to institutional.

The area in question is already owned and used by Moravian College. It is west of Main Street between West Laurel Street and Durham Street.

Director of Planning and Zoning Darlene Heller said the changes are straightforward and do not involved any buildings designated as historic resources in the historical preservation plan a few years ago.

Attorney Paul Florenz, who represented Moravian College at the hearings, said placards regarding the proposed zoning change were posted during the first week of August. Mark Reed, Moravian’s vice president of administration, said the rezoned area would feature a new health sciences building. “This will serve the needs of our existing student population,” he said. Council approved putting the proposed zoning change on the agenda of its Sept. 15 meeting for first reading and Oct. 6 for second reading. The street vacation will be placed on the agenda at a later time.

Reed said the building will meet all appropriate setbacks. He said construction would begin in February or March 2016, weather permitting. He said every effort will be made to mitigate construction noise. “We will do our best to manage that,” he said, adding construction workers will have tiond tion would begin in February or March 2016, weather permitting. He said every effort will be made to mitigate construction noise. “We will do our best to manage that,” he said, adding construction workers will have a designated lot to park, so their vehicles will not take up available parking spots.

As part of the street vacation process, Florenz said the college plans to have all appropriate easements for maintenance of utilities. Currently there is a Verizon pole an area line that goes nowhere and has not served anything for at least 15 years, he said, adding they are in the process of asking Verizon to remove the pole so no easement will be necessary.

Council also heard a proposed lease agreement for the first floor of Illick’s Mill to the nonprofit Appalachian Mountain Club for staff offices. The lease calls for a monthly rent of $1,050 with an increase to $1,150 in 2016. A public hearing on the proposal will be held Oct. 6. Council member Cathy Reuscher is a club employee and will abstain from the discussion.