John Keenan bought his Hempfield property more than 30 years ago because of the peace and quiet it offered.
His son grew up in the rural area on the eastern edge of the township and now uses the property to run an organic farm that supplies produce to local tables and grocers.
Their way of life may soon change — the sprawling agricultural land just through the tree line is being targeted for a housing development.
“If I wanted to live in a housing project, I would’ve bought a house up in Wendover or wherever and have a neighbor right up on me,” Keenan said. “That isn’t the lifestyle that I chose.”
Hempfield is on the brink of a housing boom — an estimated 300 to 400 homes will be built in the township in the coming years as several residential development projects are in various stages of construction or approval. The township last saw a similar boom in the early 2000s.
While developers flock to Hempfield, township officials said they have to walk a fine line when weighing the benefits of adding to the tax base with the potential impact on existing neighbors. Some residents said they chose rural locations decades ago and are now unhappy they may have dozens of new neighbors.
“The idea is to preserve the rural character of the township, but allow more people to live here and experience the open area that we have,” said Supervisor Doug Weimer. “It’s complimentary to have people wanting to live here.”
John Keenan and his son Jonathan, along with several other property owners, shared their concerns with township supervisors in January about the property neighboring them — at the confluence of Route 819 and Albrights Lake and Valley Green roads — during a hearing on a requested zoning change from agricultural to suburban residential. They’re worried about the potential for strain on infrastructure, added traffic on Route 819 and loss of green space, among other things.
In addition to growing produce, Jonathan Keenan raises chickens and has sheep on the other side of Route 819. There are other working farms in the vicinity, too.
“My concern is putting a few hundred houses over there and having people maybe not understanding what life is like on a farm, maybe some things they see may be not appealing to hear or see,” he said.
The father and son were happy that township supervisors held off making a decision on the zoning change. But they aren’t sure if their concerns will continue to be heard.
Ripe for development
It typically takes six to 12 months to get a housing development approved, said township manager Aaron Siko. Some are constructed in phases. During that process, developers have to get multiple approvals from voting bodies and residents are allowed to voice their opinions.
Weimer said township rules allow for residential growth while requiring space between existing and new homes. Both he and Siko believe some parts of Hempfield will remain more rural and agricultural than others, but they agreed infrastructure and the availability of public utilities drive growth.
“Even with the amount of development, we’re still considered to be a rural community,” Weimer said. “Seventy-five square miles and we still are not densely populated.”
The population per square mile in Hempfield was 540 people in 2020, according to Census data. In North Huntingdon, it was 1,168 people and in Sewickley Township it was 211 people.
The population in Hempfield has hovered around 41,000 since 2000, according to Census data. That year, there were 16,750 housing units, a number that rose about 1,700 by 2020.
Developments at Grandview Estates off Swede Hill Road and on former Cherry Creek and Valley Green golf courses are under construction, officials said. Homes in Grandview and Valley Green start around $350,000-$400,000.
A proposed development on Baltzer Meyer Pike, named Silvis Fields, is under review and one on Houp Lane, being called The Reserve at Foxfield, was approved in October.
Developer Don Tarosky Jr., owner of The Colony Co., is partnering with RWS Shuster Homes on the Valley Green development and hoping to buy the land next to the Keenans.
Hempfield is appealing to developers, Tarosky said, because its school district is usually ranked high in the state and because supervisors have been investing in infrastructure and community amenities.
“Unlike anywhere we’ve ever seen, (the supervisors are) spending it,” Tarosky said. “We need more inventory for these real estate agents to sell.”
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About 30% of the first phase of lots at Valley Green have sold, he said. Yet there are areas of Hempfield that likely will never see development because of challenges with public infrastructure.
“(Hempfield is) just so rural, it hasn’t really caught up to itself,” Tarosky said.
Bracing for development
Loss of privacy is a big concern for two couples who live near 15 acres of open land where 42 homes will be constructed for The Reserve at Foxfield off Houp Lane and Brinkerton Road.
Nicholas and Jess Walton have planted a few trees along their property line. Irene and John Casteel are bracing for what the development will mean for their septic tank.
“We’re seeing our rural neighborhood getting destroyed,” Irene Casteel said.
The Waltons gathered signatures on petitions and informed nearby residents about the development. Nicholas Walton and Irene Casteel made last-ditch efforts in October to convince township supervisors to reject the development.
It didn’t work — supervisors approved it 4-1. Both said they didn’t feel heard by the board.
“I knew where it was going and I was frustrated and mad for sure,” Walton said.
“I think they saw dollar signs,” Casteel said.
It’s important for neighbors of such developments to bring concerns to light, said Supervisor George Reese. He cast the lone vote against the Houp Lane development and put the brakes on the zoning change request near the Keenan property.
“It truly, in my opinion, is affecting those folks’ way of life,” he said of the Houp Lane development.
Reese wants to examine what a residential development would mean to neighbors when weighing decisions. He said he isn’t opposed to growth, and has approved residential developments elsewhere, but the growth has to be controlled and the right fit for the area.
“You can’t just rubber stamp it just because,” Reese said.
Hempfield has not raised property taxes in 35 years and a proposed 3-mill tax increase for 2025 was voted down, though officials said it may be revisited later this year.
“Planned growth is something we use as a tool and it is good for the community because it helps us maintain our tax base,” Weimer said. “We have to have steady, planned growth in order to continue to serve the community in the way that they’re used to. It’s a balance.”