The whole purpose of Long Range planning coupled with the growth management plan was to help eliminate politics out of the system. What was best overall would be planned, and then changes would be hard and have to face public scrutiny through lengthy plan amendments. Unfortunately, they then allowed neighborhoods to develop their own plans. The result is that where I live we have commercial zoning on one side of us, aparments behind and across the street, and a residential neighbor one the other. We are one minute from the freeway and have a major bus line stopping in front of us. But, we are restricted to single family homes with one of the highest lot sizes within the growth area. But, 12 miles out further, in an area with no sewer, no bus lines and a 30 minute commute to the city, they have it zoned for condo's. Why, because our area was mostly developed and they needed to make their numbers.
We have state highways with residential zoning, and then 3 blocks away they are pushing for tax credits to stimulate growth. The whole idea of planning is a joke.
Regulations can be just as bad. I have flat, dry, single family lots that are almost completely gravel, and I am putting in more sediment controls then the county highway project a mile away. They have mud for a mile on the road, something that would shut me down immediately. But, it sounded great on paper.