Towamencin sees plans for up to 321 houses on Freddy Hill site

 Plans for the future of the Freddy Hill Farms site in Towamencin are coming into focus, and township officials will have big decisions to make soon.

Township officials saw a first look at two possible plans from a developer on Wednesday night, which could build as many as 300-plus new housing units while preserving part of the site.

“We’ve heard the comments from the community. We expect those types of comments. And we do also recognize, and the Seipt family was very clear, about what they wanted as a vision for Freddy Hill,” said Pinnacle Realty Development principal Tony Maras.

On March 7, the Seipt family announced online they had “decided to close Freddy Hill Farms and Freddy’s Family Fun Center at the end of the 2025 season” after more than five decades operating on Sumneytown Pike near Troxel Road. Freddy Hill originated in the early 1970s when Joanne and Fred Seipt expanded a dairy farm into a store, processing plant, ice cream parlor — which remained open through the 2020 pandemic — and entertainment complex that includes two miniature golf courses, a driving range, a golf school, batting cages and a petting zoo, along with seasonal events such as hay rides and a corn maze, according to MediaNews Group archives. Joanne passed away at age 78 in 2012, and Fred passed in 2023 at age 88.

After news broke about the closing, social media lit up with recollections of time spent at the complex, and suggestions about what could happen there, with many calling for the township to find a way to preserve it.

The week after the announcement, township officials recalled the time they had spent at Freddy Hill, and said they had early talks with the Seipt family near the start of a comprehensive plan update that began in 2023, but nothing since, while urging residents to share comments and take a survey for the plan update. In late March, the township said they had fielded dozens of comments urging preservation of at least some of the site, and developer W.B. Homes presented earlier this month on a project that could build up to 33 homes on an adjacent property

During a packed supervisors meeting on Wednesday night, Maras outlined two plans that he said had been developed after lengthy talks with the Seipt family and township staff.

“The public should know, and this board should know, that the Seipt family decided to close Freddy Hill and sell the property before we entered into an agreement with them,” Maras said. “The Seipt family was very clear that, after 50 years, this is their family’s legacy, and that they felt that Freddy Hill needed to close.”

“I want the community and this board to know that there was an effort made by us to preserve the baseball (batting) cages, and the miniature golf, and the ice cream. I cannot tell you how emphatic Mr. Seipt was, that we do not want to be making ice cream. He said, ‘Why do you want to do this?’ over and over again,” he said.

Option one

Two plans were then developed, and both unveiled for the board and public Wednesday night. The first option uses a cluster development plan under the site’s current zoning, and would build a total of 141 housing units in three new neighborhoods, one with access to and from Sumneytown Pike and the two others with access from Kriebel Road.

“This plan takes advantage of the recently enacted cluster zoning ordinance, and for all intents and purposes, it would be a by-right plan under that provision of the ordinance,” Maras said.

    Site plan showing proposed ‘Option One’ for redevelopment of the Freddy Hill Farms property in Towamencin, with Sumneytown Pike at top, Kriebel Road at center, and a proposed 141 units in three new neighborhoods, as presented to the township supervisors on May 28, 2025. (Image courtesy of PRDC)
  

Roughly 45 to 48 percent of the open space on the site would be preserved, as would a stream corridor between two of the neighborhoods, and would maintain a “flag lot” with access to the Seipt family farm.

“This is essentially all cluster zoning, under your existing ordinance. The home prices in this community would be approximately $1.2 million to $1.5 million,” Maras said.

Supervisor Kofi Osei added that the proposed number and configuration of those houses have been allowed by township codes for decades, and a recent cluster zoning change was adopted by the board to allow for more preservation of open space and less impervious coverage by allowing development with smaller lots.

“As Mr. Maras said, this is by right. Technically, he didn’t need to show up today. So this is option one: if we don’t want any changes, this is what’s gonna happen,” Osei said.

Option two

The developer then presented a second option, showing the same property but with considerably more density: a total of 125 townhouses could be built in a complex fronting off of Sumneytown where the mini golf course stands now, a separate neighborhood of 60 single-family detached homes to the east, and a combination of 35 townhouses and 101 small lot single family homes to the south, adding up to a total of 321 units.

    Site plan showing proposed ‘Option Two’ for redevelopment of the Freddy Hill Farms property in Towamencin, with Sumneytown Pike at top, Kriebel Road at center, and a proposed 321 units in three new neighborhoods of townhouses and single-family detached houses, as presented to the township supervisors on May 28, 2025. (Image courtesy of PRDC)
  

“The reason we explored that plan is because Montgomery County as a whole, and the region, and the nation, has a significant issue with a housing availability shortage. And it’s not just affordable housing that gets everybody riled up — it’s also attainable housing,” Maras said.

“Starter homes for people, move-up homes for first-time or second-time homeowners, that product also is constrained. And there’s a lot of studies that support the concept to build a mixture: if you build more at that price point, it frees up homes at the lower price points as well,” he said.

The prices in that complex would vary, according to the developer: the townhouses “would probably start in the $600,000 price range,” the smaller age-qualified single-family houses could range from $700,000 to $900,000, and the larger single-family houses “would still push about $1.2 million,” he said, while the open space and stream preservation would be similar to the first plan.

“It’s essentially the same amount of open space, but with more product types,” he said.

A zoning change would be needed for the second plan: the proposal fits within the township’s mixed residential cluster codes, but that code doesn’t currently apply to that property, thus an overlay would need to be approved by the supervisors.

“It is in your code. We’re not asking you to rewrite anything, we’re not asking you to change anything. We’re trying to work within the confines of the two ordinances,” he said.

Both versions would likely also include upgrades to Kriebel Road frontage, and would leave a right-of-way along Sumneytown available “in case the county ever gets around to widening” that roadway, the developer said.

“These are both concepts. There’s not an official submission to the township. We want feedback. We expect the public to have lots of comments,” he said.

Plenty of questions

Several supervisors then shared their thoughts and asked questions about the project, starting with Osei, who said he found old meeting minutes from as far back as the 1980s when Fred Seipt was “swatting away developers,” while Osei grew up in a similar mixed residential cluster development to what’s being proposed now: “I do not know how to argue against that plan, in a way that wouldn’t imply that I shouldn’t have grown up here.”

A township comprehensive plan from 1989, an open space plan from 2006 and a comprehensive plan update being drafted now all reference the property as one possible to be developed, Osei said, before outlining his preferences.

“I would like to at least allow different entertainment uses. Maybe as you’re doing the engineering, you have another tenant that wants that frontage. That could be a possibility,” he said.

“I do prefer the mixed residential cluster. That is the Towamencin I know,” he said. The developer replied: “We’re trying to balance: do we need more $1.5 million houses? Or do we need a broader housing spectrum to encourage young families to move, not just to Towamencin, but to Montgomery County and the area as a whole?”

Board Chairwoman Joyce Snyder asked if the open space would be managed by a homeowners association or be public for all residents, and Maras said their intention is to make it available to the township, but could be maintained by an HOA until dedicated to the township.

“The idea is this would be a true open space, not a community-based open space,” he said.

Supervisor Chuck Wilson said he “favor(s) the less dense plan: I think that’s a lot less of a traffic impact on the community, and a lot less impact on the surrounding neighborhood,” and supervisor Kristin Warner echoed that preference.

“I think we have a lot of townhomes and different style homes already in our township. I’d like to see us stick with the integrity of what Freddy Hill was, as much as we can. It’s being built on, there’s nothing we can do about that, but a little bit more open space and homes that are all the same styling, and higher quality, that would be my preference,” Warner said.

And new supervisor Amer Barghouth said he’s in favor of the mixed residential cluster, and sees the local demand for housing.

“I think it’s a shame that several of my neighbors’ kids haven’t been able to find rentals or homes to buy around here. Our kids grow up, they want to stick around, have access to nana and granddad, and I think we should take that into account as well. I think an MRC would allow for more units, at more attainable prices, and will allow for growth in this township,” he said.

Residents speak out

Several residents also shared their thoughts on the plan, led by Casey Hannings of Kriebel, who said he’s lived nearby for 20 years and has created an online petition signed by roughly 450 residents asking to preserve the property, and an Instagram account @SaveFreddyHill meant to build support.

    

“Why does this matter? Why should Freddy Hill Farms not be developed, or development be reduced? For one, the community would lose access to unique recreational opportunities that have, for generations, created memories for friends and families. This is an opportunity that doesn’t exist anywhere else nearby. The mini golf, batting cages, driving range, these are things that people have grown up enjoying,” he said.

Developing the site would also be “a devastating and irreparable loss” to the local environment, Hannings said: “You’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the township that is as biodiverse as Freddy Hill Farms,” saying that during a recent visit, he identified over 20 species of birds on that site.

Developing the site could also increase risks of flooding and stormwater runoff, could degrade the area’s air, soil and water, increase traffic, and lengthen commute times, while potentially forcing away wildlife that live there now, and putting at risk the buffering and natural features there now.

“Freddy Hill Farms is a landmark in Towamencin Township, and it should stay a landmark in the township for many years to come,” he said.

Paul Andrews said he’s one of many residents who live on developments built atop what had been farms elsewhere in the township, and recalled many hours spent having fun at Freddy Hill.

“My family has visited to play mini golf and to get ice cream many times, and it always seems to be busy with kids and families. This business will be missed, because there isn’t much else in the township to do. Our passive and natural parks are wonderful, but people also need other activities and gathering places,” he said.

“I’ve heard suggestions that the township could buy the business, but the township isn’t and shouldn’t be owning and running a for-profit business. Buying the developing rights is something that neighboring townships have done, but it requires the property owner to want to preserve the farm or open space, and to retain ownership. If there’s no way to continue these businesses, I would certainly like to see the township encourage the property owners to at least preserve some of the open space on the property,” Andrews said.

And Jenn Foster said she grew up going to Freddy Hill, with “really fond memories of visiting with my parents: we used to live near Towamencin pool, and we’d ride our bikes to Freddy Hill, to eat ice cream, play miniature golf and spend time outdoors together. It’s more than just a property for many of us, it’s a part of our shared history.”

“I hope the township will take the needed steps to enhance conservation on this site by setting a clear expectation that the preservation of open space and responsible land use are priorities. This would help balance the rights of the property owners with the public interest, and reflect the overwhelming feedback from residents who want to see at least part of that land protected,” she said. “We cannot stop change, but we can shape how it happens. And in doing so, I hope we can honor the legacy of a place that means so much to all of us.”

Towamencin’s supervisors next meet at 7 p.m. on June 11 at the township administration building, 1090 Troxel Road. For more information, visit www.Towamencin.org.