CONNOQUENESSING TWP — The chairwoman of the township supervisors said the significant growth here over the past several years is easy to explain.

"We're right next to Butler Township, and they're full," Evelyn Hockenberry said.

She said the township for several years has experienced growth on its eastern border along Route 68 as business has spilled over from adjoining Butler Township.

She said low taxes and superior road maintenance also attracts residential and commercial growth to Connoquenessing Township.

Hockenberry said Connoquenessing is able to attract this growth and to retain its rural character because many farmers have entered agricultural security agreements with the state. In such an agreement, a farm can never be sold to a developer.

Within the past 10 years, Connoquenessing Township has had the construction of four residential developments.

n Brandywine Estates is on Route 68 just west of the Butler Township border. It has single- and multi-family homes.

• Hidden Meadows is a multi-family residential development off Cupps Road.

• The Timberley housing plan, off Route 528 at the intersection of Fassinger and Smalstig roads, contains both single- and multi-family homes.

• Westerman Estates is a neighborhood of single-family homes off Cupps Road.

• Shannon Mills, behind White Oak Springs Church off Dick Road, is a plan of single- and multi-family homes that is still under construction.

Bonnie Weaver, vice president of sales and marketing for Brandywine Estates, said groundbreaking took place in April 2002. She said the plan's first phase, which included 112 units in a series of fourplexes, was aimed at empty-nesters looking to leave the larger, high-maintenance homes where they raised children.

Additional land in the 130-acre Brandywine Estates allowed the construction of The Vineyards at Brandywine, which is a neighborhood of single-family homes.

A plan of eight townhomes known as Napa Ridge at Brandywine also has been added, and a three-unit building is coming to that neighborhood soon.

Weaver said Connoquenessing Township was attractive for the development because the property matched the empty-nester demographic served by Brandywine.

Retail and commercial development also have moved into Connoquenessing Township in recent years.

The Honda North dealership moved its facility a bit farther west on Route 68 from Butler Township to Connoquenessing Township.

Owner John Palmiero said the new, 28,000-square-foot showroom and service area will provide much-needed space for the five-year-old business.

Palmiero said the location near the intersection of Route 68 and Kriess Road will mean better visibility of the dealership.

"We're very excited about the move," Palmiero said.

The Butler Farm Market moved three years ago from New Castle Road to its new, larger location on Route 68.

Eric Shiever, vice president of the Butler Farm Market, said the 13,000-square-foot facility employs 30 people.

Shiever said the market moved to Connoquenessing Township because company officials wanted to buy a building instead of pay rent and also to add more space.

"(The move) has been very beneficial to the business," Shiever said. "There are more customers and more sales dollars."

He said parking and traffic work out better, too.

"We're quite happy here," Shiever said.

Hockenberry said a 10-year-old industrial park on Kriess Road has five tenants.

Hockenberry said the only barrier to continued growth in Connoquenessing Township is Route 68. She said a turning lane or widening of the highway would improve traffic along the commercial corridor, but there no plans by the state Department of Transportation to do that.

"It's a little two-lane highway that has bumper-to-bumper traffic three times a day," Hockenberry said. "That's the biggest thing withholding development."

Traffic signals have been added in the township, but neither are operating yet.

Harold Swan of PennDOT District 10 said the light at the border of Connoquenessing and Forward townships is close to completion.

Construction has begun on another traffic light at Route 68 and Eagle Mill Road. Swan said both will be activated on the timetable of the contractors' building developments nearby.

<b>Connoquenessing Twp.</b><b>Mailing address and township building: </b>102 Township Drive, Renfrew, PA 16053<b>Telephone: </b>724-486-3888<b>Fax: </b>724-486-3889<b>E-mail: </b>connoquenessingtwp@zoominternet.net<b>Secretary: </b>Brenda Davis<b>Treasurer:</b> LeeAnn Kradel<b>Supervisors:</b> Evelyn Hockenberry, chairwoman; Jack Kaltenbaugh; Steve Misko<b>Supervisors' meeting:</b> 7 p.m. first Wednesday of each month<b>Tax rate: </b>2.83 mills<b>Population:</b> 3,653<b>When founded: </b>1854<b>Named for: </b>Connoquenessing Creek<b>Area: </b>38.42 square miles