“I find it hard to believe that the commission was unable to find a suitable location in South Jersey,” Chatzidakis said in a news release. “Mount Laurel alone has many such facilities, as does Cherry Hill and Atlantic City. It is troubling to think that they would not be more sensitive about contributing to the regional economy.”
“We're all aware of the history and the sensitivities of the commission and we want to make sure that a person who sits on the commission is in tune with those sensitivities,” Chatzidakis said in an interview last month. “Someone who lives in the Pinelands already has a familiarity with and a historical perspective of the Pinelands.”

Mount Laurel is 8 minutes from the Pines, Cherry Hill is 12, and Atlantic City are 10 minutes away.
when i lived in mt. laurel it took me at least 8 min. just to get out of mt.laurel and an additional 12 to 20 min. to get to the pines (at least what i call the pines) LOL
now i am 7 hours from the pines !