Simple economics will tell you that competition is a necessity for the well being of any economy.  Unfortunately, the importance of competition is sometimes overshadowed by the fear many have of it.

Opposition to appropriately zoned proposals has frequently been referred to as NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) opposition.  Generally, such groups try to stop any project which will produce a significant change of use because it carries with it the fear of the unknown.  

In other circumstances, NIMBY groups have been known to extend the permit process to make it impossibly for an applicant to continue an investment in a process which seems without end.  In such cases, we all lose.  

We all lose with NIMBY because:
•    Investment in construction and employment is delayed or canceled;

•    Creative projects which encounter significant and costly opposition often will fall back to be developed as housing projects which provide a higher drain on municipal services than business uses;
•    Investors with creative and beneficial projects start to avoid while regions because of the experience of delays associated with that particular area;
•    Communities lose the balance of business and residential development necessary to provide adequate employment for residents and a diverse tax base for funding municipal services of education, public works, administration and public safety.