Restaurant Owner Eyes Larison's Property

The subcommittee of the Chester Borough council charged with deciding the fate of the Larison’s Turkey Farm site continues to explore its options, but according to an update from Mayor Bob Davis made at Tuesday's council meeting, strides are being made.  

“The committee has not met. There have been a lot of questions back and forth, telephone conversations with CVS and different groups,” Davis said.

Among those the committee has been speaking with is Mitchell Berlant, a business associate of restaurant owner Frank Cretella, who handles real estate matters for Cretella.

Davis said there is an interest in putting a restaurant/catering facility on the western part of the site.

Davis said the committee was planning to visit the Stone House at Stirling Ridge in Warren, which is owned by Cretella, and he invited the other council members to also attend.

“It is something very unique,” said Davis of the Stone House, adding that he drove by the restaurant several days before the meeting. “I went there about five years ago. Just in a drive-by, I was amazed. He has expanded it and changed it. I think we should go look at it. We can see what his concepts are.”

Cretella also owns the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse Station, Liberty House in Jersey City, and Celebrate at Snug Harbor in Staten Island.

Davis appointed a subcommittee on April 16 in order to speed along the decision-making process after hearing much input from the public on the fate of the turkey farm site.

The subcommittee consists of Davis, borough attorney Brian Mason, Council President Tim Iversen, Councilman Matt Finney, and planners Frank and David Banisch.

At the May 7 Mayor and Council meeting, Mason gave an update on the subcommittee’s progress at that point and said it had met with a representative of a realty corporation that finds locations for CVS stores.

Mason also explained on May 7 how the committee works.

“The committee is investigating facts and will make a presentation to the governing body,” Mason said. “We are getting a lot of information from a lot of people. The committee is investigating which of these visions are viable.”

Also, at the May 7 meeting, Mason stressed that the subcommittee had not made any decisions yet.

“No decisions have been made, and there is no recommendation yet,” he said. “The committee may have a recommendation or recommendations. This gives us the ability to have an exchange of information to determine the facts and to report back what are viable options for the site.”