The real Jersey Devil? Sprawl.

The words “New Jersey” often conjure up images of strip malls and congested highways. In other words, the worst of suburban sprawl. But that’s exactly what Governor James E. McGreevey is hoping to change with the establishment of the state’s new “Big May” and Office of Smart growth. In his most recent State of the State address, McGreevey attacked sprawl as the cause of many of New Jersey’s intractable problems, including overcrowded schools and clogged thoroughfares: “There is no greater threat to our way of life in New Jersey than the unrestrained, uncontrolled development that has jeopardized our water supplies, made our schools more crowded, our roads more congested, and our open space disappear.” We will have one state map that we will live by and not one dollar of taxpayer money will be spent to subsidize sprawl anymore. If you want to build and grow consistent with smart growth, then we will help you get regulatory approvals quickly and make sure the infrastructure is there to support you.” Critics of the plan wonder how effective the so-called “Big Map” will be, noting that New Jersey is a home rule state, with zoning decisions being made on the local and not the state level. To that end, McGreevey is encouraging townships and municipalities to pick up the smart growth mantle and get intimately involved with planning and zoning issues, going so far as to offer the assistance of the state’s attorney general’s office. “Towns across this state will be given the legal firepower from our administration to fight developers when they need it. No longer will communities be forced to stand helplessly by while inappropriate and unwanted development occurs,” he said. Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell of the New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection echoes the governor’s sentiments about local involvement. “Controlling sprawl means not only saying ‘no’ to development in certain places, but also saying ‘yes’ to development elsewhere,” he said. “Working with our mayors, county officials and other community leaders, we must plan now to provide attractive, affordable, and environmentally sound places for people to live.”