South Jersey projects prove challenging, but fun.

Southern New Jersey is usually defined as the area below Route 195, which runs across the state from Trenton to Spring Lake. But for developers, that area is comprised of two very distinct regions: the western portion, which is experiencing a surge of redevelopment; and the eastern portion, which has large tracts of protected areas recently slated for new development. Both areas present challenges for developers.

The western portion, comprised of Burlington, Gloucester, Camden and Mercer counties, consists of older urban and semi-urban areas built along the old Route 130 corridor abutting the Delaware River. The once-thriving towns along this route, which experienced population flight and decline over the past few decades, are now attracting massive redevelopment projects. Camden, Pennsauken, Gloucester City, River City and many others have adopted plans that incorporate thousands of residential units and tens of thousands of square feet of retail space, aimed at spurring a rebirth of their towns.

The greatest challenge to developers in these areas is brownfield reclamation. But the State of New Jersey and the local municipalities, eager to see these old towns brought back to life, are providing incentives whenever possible.

Development in the eastern part of the region, running along the Garden State Parkway corridor, is vastly different. In this mostly rural area, development is governed by the Pinelands Commission to the west of the GSP and by the Coastal Area Facility Review Act to the east. The Pinelands is one of the largest preserved areas in the country and development in this area is governed by strict guidelines. Developers face numerous challenges in complying with a host of governmental agencies and requirements regarding the preservation of natural habitats.

That being said, the areas in which development is slated are growing rapidly. Monmouth, Atlantic and Ocean counties continue to experience population growth due to the steady migration of people from northern New Jersey, seeking less densely populated and somewhat quieter neighborhoods.

Those who build in the heavily regulated zones face the daunting challenge of meeting growing housing needs, even as they strive to provide environmental protections and accommodations.

The Walters Group currently has two projects in progress in this area of the state that demonstrate the complexities.

Stafford Park is a project that will ultimately consist of 560 residences and more than 600,000 s/f of retail space. It is located on a 320-acre parcel within Stafford township's newly planned mixed-use overlay zone at Exit 63 of the GSP. But 70 of those acres are comprised of an uncapped landfill. As part of our development agreement, Walters Group is capping the landfill and providing extensive ecological site studies to ensure protection of the groundwater and the native animal and botanical life. The State thus benefits not only from the development itself, but also from the capping process, which otherwise could only have been done at taxpayers' expense.

Another project, Ocean Acres, is a 1,300-acre lot subdivision in Barnegat township near Exit 67 of the GSP. Though originally slated for about 2,000 lots when first designated for growth by the Pinelands Commission, the approvals we received two years ago call for the setting aside of approximately 650 lots as conservation zones.

Both of these projects demonstrate that the challenges of building in undeveloped areas are just as extensive as those involved in the rebuilding of older areas. It is also worthwhile noting that developers are now forced to compete with government entities in buying developable land because towns, townships and the State are banding together to buy land and preserve open spaces.

Despite the challenges, New Jersey is still one of the best places for builders, as the demand for housing here continues to grow. Though the state may be one of the most highly regulated in the country, those regulations will hopefully yield a higher quality of development. The fact that New Jersey and its municipalities are reaching out to developers in all areas can only be a positive step for the future of this state.