As has been the case during those meetings, the reviews aredecidedly mixed on the New Jersey State Development andRedevelopment Plan, which is actually a revision of an earlierplan. At the heart of it is a goal of preserving a million acres ofopen space, including farmland and forested areas.

"This effort isn't just about economic development, and it isn'tjust about preserving open spaces," Joseph Maraziti, chairman ofthe commission told the audience at the unveiling of the planWednesday night. "This is ultimately a matter of maintaining andrevitalizing our cities and towns and creating new,pedestrian-friendly communities."

Now the criticisms: local officials don't like it very muchbecause they say it takes away too much of their decision-makingwhile casting a shadow of big government. Developers also aren'tcrazy about it, asserting that it is too limiting, especially giventhe small size and population density of New Jersey. They alsosuggest it will slow economic growth, and that it doesn't reallyclarify where developers can or can't build.