The regs are part of DEP's Coastal Zone Management Rules, andthe issues are largely demographic. In the less-urban oceanfrontcounties, the 2-to-1 ratio makes sense because the car is king. Buta byproduct is to put some de facto limits on development along theenvironmentally fragile oceanfront, because if you don't have theroom to supply the parking, you can't do the project.

For the urbanized communities along the Hudson River, where landis more at a premium and residents are more dependent upon masstransit, the result can be stifling. "For the past year, we've beenencouraging the DEP to re-examine its position," explains JosephBarry, chairman of the Applied Cos., a development firm based inHoboken, NJ. He's also co-chairman of the Hudson River PropertyOwners and Conservators Association, a local advocacy group. "It'sbeen our belief that the 2-to-1 requirement was not onlyunnecessary but also counter-productive. One effect has been todiscourage mass transit, which is being developed to service thewaterfront area.

"We're certainly pleased that they've finally decided toconsider the characteristics of these communities and how theydiffer from the oceanfront," Barry continues.