Zoning laws and other regulations governing allowable land uses protect both individual homeowners as well as various mosdos in their locational and investment decisions, unless they are misused for the purpose of discrimination. Would a shul that properly followed the zoning rules to build its facility in an area zoned for institutional use be happy if a huge industrial shlachthois or a “gentlemen’s club” obtained a variance to build nextdoor?? Likewise, if I purchased a home on a residential street zoned exclusively for single family properties, why would I be happy if some rav decided my neighborhood needed another shtieblach next door and held daily minyanim with parking issues, noise, etc. Local governments are limited in their ability to deny variances for such uses unless they can show serious health and safety issues.
