Construction of Phase I of Fox Run Preserve can begin in April as planned
By: Gwen Runkle
SOLEBURY The Board of Supervisors on March 6 unanimously gave final approval to Phase I of Fox Run Preserve, a 143-house development to be built on 167 acres along Route 202 in the Aquetong Valley, with the addition of measures to further ensure the preservation of the historic Ingam house.
With final approval of the 53 age-qualified homes of Phase I, developer Vince DeLuca can begin construction on that south-east section of the property as planned in April.
The Ingam house, a stone farmhouse built in 1747 by Samuel Ingam, U.S. secretary of the Treasury under President Andrew Jackson, is located on approximately 3 acres of land in Phase I of the development, near Route 202 and Ingam Lake.
"The tract the house was built on was purchased from James Logan, secretary to William Penn," by Mr. Ingam’s grandfather, Jonathan Ingam, who passed it to his son, Dr. Jonathan Ingam, who passed it to his son, Samuel, said John Touhey of the Solebury Historical Society.
Samuel Ingam created a farm there and also is known for establishing the bridge connection between Lambertville and New Hope, Mr. Touhey said.
The house underwent restoration in the early part of the 20th century when a professor from Colombia University purchased it. His architect, Alfred Boell, won a contest in 1932 for the magazine House and Garden with his suggested plans for restoration of the Ingam house, Mr. Touhey said.
He said the professor developed the house into a summer camp with a large back extension.
Under Mr. DeLuca’s plans, the house will be made into a community center for the development and is protected by a historic façade easement under the compromise plan accepted by the board, neighbors and the developer Feb. 6.
But Supervisor Stephen Phillips suggested the board look into trying to designate the Ingam house as a historic district at the state and federal levels so the board can be sure enforcement of the easement and monitoring of the house will take place.
If the house is designated as a historic district, any changes made to the outside of the house would automatically have to be brought before the Solebury Board of Historical Architectural Review to determine if the changes would be consistent with the architecture of the time period.
Mr. Phillips also suggested if the Ingam house, as a single structure, cannot be designated as a historical district, an agreement should be drawn up so the builder, and later the homeowners association of Phase I, would have to go before the board in order to improve or change the outside of the Ingam house.
"In the short term, Mr. DeLuca (the developer) will be making changes to the house, but once he has sold all of the units, the homeowner’s association will take over ownership and control," Mr. Phillips said.
Under this agreement, the board also would specify that should the association choose to discontinue using or maintaining the house, ownership would be transferred back to the township. The township then would regulate its use and could give it to the Parks and Recreation Board for example or to the Solebury Historical Society as a headquarters, he said.
Neither Mr. DeLuca nor his attorney Ed Murphy voiced any opposition to such a plan. Mr. Murphy and the board’s solicitor Steve Harris will be researching the possibility of designation for the Ingam house as a historic site.
Phase II of the development for 79 age-qualified houses in the northeast section of the property was given preliminary approval by the board so new engineering plans and drawings can be done.
In a couple of months, Phase II will go before the Planning Commission for final approval there and then back to the board for its final approval.
The board also acknowledged the sketch plan of Phase III for 11 estate houses on 2-acre lots along the western side of the property, which also will have to go before the commission in a couple of months for preliminary approval and then back to the board for its preliminary approval.