Seven Persons has future business potential

Richard Oster

Justin Seward
Commentator/Courier

Seven Persons, a hamlet of 275 people, is considered to be a place of future growth by Cypress County.
With the Highway 3 twinning in the works , the county wants to develop to develop commercial and industrial lands, while for the residential areas surrounding Seven Persons is to keep agricultural land as is until development is required.
The county has identified in the area structure plan areas of residential use that are most compatible with Seven Persons and for servicing costs of sewage and water.
“We want to diversify,” said Kaylene Simpson, associate planner for Cypress County.
“I think the servicing matters, so the availability of water and sewer. Of course for the residential areas with the attraction of younger families to the area.”
Community support will need to be factored in to assist the privately-owned home base businesses.
“If we do get those businesses in there, I think it’s important for the local community and the surrounding areas to support their endeavors as well if we want to see a successful business industry,” said Simpson.
The hamlet’s boundaries will stay the same but the area structure plan study extends beyond the area because the county felt they’re confined on the south end of the railway, while the north end needed to be included with the possibility of future commercial development, she said.
“I think it’s enough for the foreseeable future, even for infill development, but its going to depend on what industries want to come to Seven Persons,” said Simpson about the amount of land available.
Cypress County Reeve Richard Oster said everything is in place and now has to go before council and the process will become easier when people want to start business.
“To have that plan in place makes it so easy if somebody comes and walks into Cypress County office, our planning department can work with them and everything’s in place. If they have an idea, they would know pretty fast if it would work out there,” said Oster.
“It’d be nice to see a few more people in there. They have the school and there’s a store and it would be a good bedroom community for Medicine Hat. That’s where we’re going.”
A public hearing will be held at the April 3 regular meeting on the Seven Persons Area Structure Plan.
-With files from Jeremy Appel.