Region’s municipalities holding one more open house to talk development plan

By Medicine Hat News on November 28, 2024.

The final joint open house held by Cypress County, the Town of Redcliff and the City of Medicine Hat will outline planned changes to the Inter-municipal Development Plan on Thursday.

The agreement between the three neighbouring municipalities sets general zoning along common boundaries, and provides each other the ability to comment on development proposals within the plan’s outline.

In September, planning and elected officials announced a final draft of updates had been negotiated and they hoped each council would certify the changes in the new year.

A second open house is set to take place tonight for residents of the three partners, from 4-8 p.m. at the Best Western Premier hotel in Medicine Hat.

A three-council joint public hearing will be required prior to each council officially debating or voting on the issue.

The major changes outlined in September would:

– Reduce the area designated for low-density development south of Medicine Hat to 17 quarter-sections nearest to S. Boundary Road (the city limits), while opening up 19 more quarters north of Township Road 120 to potential county residential subdivisions;

– Redraw zones along a long-proposed southern ring road at property lines, rather than a general alignment scheme issued more than 10 years ago;

– Contract the area of common interest east of the city by one mile to Highway 41A;

– Create an “agri-industrial” development corridor zone along Highway 3 outside city limits.