McGreevey: Mayors Should be Able to Ban Development for a Year

And while the state has had a growth management plan in place for several years, emanating from the administration of former Gov. Christie Whitman, he proposed new, tougher means of reining in developers. Among his most controversial proposals was new empowerment for local officials. "I will propose that municipalities be allowed to impose a one-year building moratorium," McGreevey said.

Among his other proposals to steer development into designated areas, largely those that are already developed, are everything from making developers pay impact fees, to getting the state attorney general's office involved on the side of towns sued by developers over the issuance of permits. He also proposed to spend $100 million over the next three years for open space preservation.

"We must find ways to stop development that costs more than it saves and takes more than it gives," McGreevey said. "For many years, we thought that if we built one more road, one more mall or one more housing project, all of our problems would be solved. The real truth is, that is the problem."

"The real problem is that his logic is flawed," according to one private developer, who did not wish to be identified. "If you look at the areas where congestion is the worst, those are the areas that are already developed--and he wants to funnel development into those places. 'Smart growth,' as far as I'm concerned, means taking the pressure off the heavily congested areas, but doing it without overrunning the rural areas. That's the real trick."

In any case, the McGreevey administration plans, later this week, to unveil a new map of its preferred growth areas, as devised by the NJ DEP. McGreevey also plans to have the heads of DEP, the Department of Community Affairs and the DOT conduct a series of meetings, over the next several weeks, with the state's mayors on the issue.