I know that a lot of these old farms were zoned as residential many years ago. For instance the one that will be Tudor Hall golf course (if it ever happens) was zoned and the city water line were run like 30 years ago, and the clarks farm, from what i understand was zoned into lots, and the plan includes a road that will connect leon-hollywood (around the smeco) road to rt 5 across from pennies long before Mr clark died.
Anyway, that is one way they (the developers) can avoid some of the environmental headaches.