Developer revives proposal for former Gypsy Rose Hotel property in Skippack

Foxlane Homes unveils revised 14-home plan for 505 Bridge Road as township officials raise questions about traffic and PennDOT access approvals

A revised residential development proposal for the long-vacant former Gypsy Rose Hotel property at 505 Bridge Road returned to public discussion last week, with Foxlane Homes presenting updated plans to the Skippack Township Board of Supervisors.

During the May 13 supervisors meeting, Foxlane Homes representative John Farro said the regional builder acquired the project after previous developer WB Homes walked away despite securing zoning approvals in 2023. Farro said Foxlane viewed the site as a strong fit for redevelopment and moved quickly after learning more about the project history.

“We are very close with WB Homes representatives, reached out to them, got a lot of the history, thought it was a project that we should be pursuing, contacted the seller and put it under agreement,” he said.

The proposal would redevelop the roughly 2-acre property with 14 homes, a reduction from the previously approved 15-lot concept. Farro said the updated design keeps “the same exact road network” and largely mirrors the earlier plan while reducing density slightly.

“Main change is we reduced it down from 15 lots to 14 lots,” Farro said. “We have just kept the same limit of disturbance, street clearing, service, everything of that nature.”

According to the presentation, the development would include four smaller 22-by-50-foot lots and 10 larger 28-by-62-foot lots, with 65 parking spaces proposed where 42 are required under township ordinances. Farro also said the project remains below ordinance thresholds for building coverage, impervious coverage and steep slope disturbance.

The developer has already submitted plans to township consultants, the Montgomery County Planning Commission, North Penn Water Authority and the sewer authority. Farro said the project comes with 17 existing EDUs, meaning the development would actually return some sewer capacity.

One of the biggest hurdles remains PennDOT approval for the Highway Occupancy Permit tied to the site access near Route 113 and Bridge Road, an intersection long viewed by residents and officials as problematic. Farro acknowledged the access permitting process was one reason the prior developer abandoned the proposal.

“There’s some significant improvements involved and also the length of time for approval process,” Farro said.

Township Manager Tim Woodrow specifically raised concerns about the proposed driveway connection and intersection safety at Route 113, asking the development team to explain recent discussions with PennDOT.

Project consultant Stephanie Butler said the team submitted an interim Highway Occupancy Permit application to PennDOT and has already participated in a collaborative meeting with the agency to review potential solutions for the challenging roadway geometry.

“We did receive a review letter,” Farro said. “At the very end of April, we had a collaboration meeting trying to find out a solution that work with PennDOT. We have three different solutions that we came up with. PennDOT is in the process of reviewing all of them.”

The proposal previously received a favorable recommendation from the township planning commission, and developers said they are continuing through the outside agency approval process before returning for additional township consideration.

According to Jerry Chiccarine and the Skippack Township Historical Society, the front facade of the Gypse Rose was actually composed of an early colonial fieldstone house, that would later accompany a grist mill next to it. The Society said that some wall evidence remains and signs of the dam and mill race.

“This little hamlet could at one time been called ‘Hunsickerville,’ as the family dominated this Skippack side of the Perkiomen Creek,” wrote Benjamin Webb on a Facebook post in 2022. “Years later, a full third story was added and eventually the place became the Eagles Nest Hotel, named after the football team.”

In its later years, the hotel served as a wedding venue and banquet hall.

Today, the residential roadways nearby — Gypsy Lane and Rose Way — remain as a link to the business’s past.