Supplied image/ City of Medicine Hat The 2010 Intermunicipal Development Plan laid out how areas of common interest to the City of Medicine Hat, Town of Redcliff and Cypress could be best developed. Amendments to that now nine year old plan were unveiled on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019 with several notable additions.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
A new framework for inter-municipal development highlights three new long-term economic development projects in southeast Alberta.
Medicine Hat, Redcliff and Cypress County unveiled proposed changes to its 10-year-old Tri-area Intermunicipal Development Plan on Tuesday night in Dunmore.
The agreement, which deals mainly with land use in common interest, would be amended to establish a potential greenhouse corridor southwest of the city and a combined industrial and rail logistics park northwest of Redcliff, among other housekeeping items.
As well, Cypress County is hoping to designate areas along Township Road 120 commercial project akin to a “Gasoline Alley” for when a long discussed ring road bypasses highway traffic around the city.
Coun. Julie Friesen, who represented the city in negotiations, stressed that nothing is finalized and no development is imminent.
But she says that the document itself is a matter of “good planning,” and looking on the horizon to see what’s possible.
“There are opportunities – it’s a very big picture,” she told the News. “But it’s been really worthwhile to have (a venue for) collaborative thinking … to figure out what’s best and not in isolation.”
The IDP is not an “action plan” but lays down land-use regulations and gives each of the three municipalities a chance to comment on development that butts up against their corporate limits.
A second open house tonight in Redcliff will be held for the public feedback, and the changes could be passed by the three councils in January.
The IDP is one step of three that must take place before spring of 2020.
Last year the province brought in new rules requiring neighbouring local jurisdictions to put in place or update existing common development plans, as well as explore collaboration frameworks. That could lead to joint service provision, such as recreation, utilities or public safety, if the partners come to formal agreement.
As well, the city plans to update its specific municipal development plan, governing land use and planning inside city limits, once others are complete.
Cypress County is currently finalizing such documents with its neighbours, including the counties of Newell and Forty Mile, as well as the Special Areas.
Redcliff only requires agreements with Medicine Hat and Cypress County.
Medicine Hat commissioner of development, Stan Schwartzenberger, told the News that the Tri-Area plan was formalized a decade ago, well before it was required, and updating is needed.
“We need to bring the plan to conform with current Municipal Government Act, and an update in changes in conditions,” he said.
“Some of it is housekeeping. We’ll try to gather some feedback from people who attend (the open houses).”
One major change is the city’s new powers, delegated by the federal government, to regulate lands and building heights in the runway approaches of the Medicine Hat Regional Airport. Those extend into Cypress County, which will also seek similar powers.
Along the Highway 3 corridor, the amendments would give generally designate areas for major greenhouse development, developing policies that new development proposals match, or at least doesn’t detract from, that use.
Last year, the city’s electrical distribution budget moved ahead with a new substation in the southwest that had been scheduled for future growth.
A potential rail-served logistics park near Redcliff has long been on the wish list of local industry and economic developers. It has been the subject of closed-door meetings of all three councils for several years as suitable land was sought after a formal study was done by the Palliser Economic Partnership.
The provincial government has had a southern Trans-Canada bypass of the city on the planning horizon since the mid-2000s, but potential dates have been continuously pushed back.
