Ex-Flying Pig Chef Axes Chappaqua Train Station Plan

Former Chef Leslie Sutter has pulled her proposal for a restaurant at Chappaqua's train station.

Cheryl Bernstein, a friend of Sutter's who is helping her effort, confirmed the news.

Bernstein explained the decision was because of too much time passing before a lease could be signed for the station, which is owned by the Town of New Castle. She cited structural work that the town has to do on the historic building as being a reason for the delay.

"It's too long," she said.

The restaurant's proposed name, first , would have been Sutter's Track 32. The original opening goal was for this past June.

The Flying Pig, a prominent Mount Kisco location, after the owning Kohlberg family declined to continue it. Bernstein explained that it is important, economically, for Sutter to open a new restaurant.

"Leslie's ready to cook for someone," she said.

Sutter could not be reached for comment.

The town had has to make several structural repairs to the historic building, however. Supervisor Susan Carpenter, who acknowledged the decision to drop the plan, explained that this includes work on the sewer and water systems, and on the floor. The overhaul is ongoing, and there is no completion date yet.

Carpenter explained that there were logistical and cost challenges for opening such a place. These included a desire to have natural gas added to the building, which would have been too expensive for the town to pay, and because possible installation of an exterior cooler is precluded by the station's historic landmark status.

The town was given a setback in July, when it had to replace the firm it chosen for engineering services because the first company did not have the insurance that the town needed. At its July 24 meeting, the board approved a deal with Crowley Engineering, P.C. for $31,500.

Neither side has any hard feelings about the deal falling through, and Bernstein insisted that the decision to pull out does not mean that the town did anything unfair or wrong. But rather, it was just a matter of what her needs are.

Bernstein also had kind words for Carpenter, along with Town Administrator Penny Paderewski, who she thought were helpful.

"They were lovely to deal with," she said.

Sutter will continue to look for another site. Bernstein hopes that a new location will be close by to the former place, whether in Chappaqua or Mount Kisco.