A Swamp Pike property in Limerick Township could become home to a farm-to-table cafe and produce stand under a plan presented to the board of supervisors on Tuesday.
Property owner Chris Lucci appeared with Mike Bercek of civil engineering firm Bercek & Associates to introduce the Lucci family's vision for the roughly 6.5-acre site at 458 Swamp Pike. The supervisors decided without opposition to send the concept to township staff for further review.
When Lucci purchased the property with his wife, it included a longstanding stone farmhouse and a stone barn. The farmhouse was severely damaged in a 2022 fire in which one person died. The roof had collapsed and the interior was destroyed, but the Luccis chose to preserve and restore the stone structure rather than demolish it.
Lucci mentioned that a stone at the top of the farmhouse is marked 1787, though he said the date could not be verified through the historical society or other records. Builders involved in the remodel work estimated the farmhouse dates to at least 1850.
The barn, which was not burned but was in poor condition, has had its roof removed and its three remaining stone walls repointed for structural stability, Lucci said.
Proposed Uses
A zoning line on the property separates the R-1 Residential-Agricultural and Village Commercial districts. The proposal includes a large garden, which Bercek said is permitted under the property's R-1 zoning. Produce grown there would be sold from a proposed agricultural building on the site. The owners also propose adding an addition to the existing barn to create a farm-to-table cafe and restaurant using produce from the garden.
Lucci said the operation would likely run year-round, with the cafe running Wednesday through Sunday. He described the venture as a family project involving his five children.
Board Response
Supervisors responded favorably to the proposal. Supervisor Kara Shuler said the use "could be very appealing" in that portion of the Village Commercial District. She also asked Lucci whether he would consider partnering with the Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center to involve students in the garden. Lucci said his son recently graduated from the tech school, another son will be entering as a freshman, and his family would be "100 percent" open to collaborating with the school's programs.
Lucci noted that any addition would match the character of the existing farmhouse and barn. The proposal now moves to township staff for additional review before any formal application proceeds.
This article was generated with AI assistance. All content was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by John McGuire.
