You seem to have a low opinion of people's ability to make their own decisions or to decide what's in their own best interests. No, we must have properly appointed government bureaucrats make all decisions. If we deny someone's property rights, tough. They should know better than to disagree with their intellectual superiors in government. Just keep paying those property taxes and shut up. /sarcasm Ahh, whatever. That certainly is how conservatives will mischaracterize my opinion on this topic, no matter what I say.

Seriously, would dumping dioxine increase or decrease someone's property value? Decrease. One would think it would lower the value, so why would people rush to make their property toxic waste dumps? You tell me, Larry. People do it.

As for dairy farms in the middle of towns, it seems unlikely that someone could afford enough property to operate a profitable farm in town. Land prices in most towns are just too high, especially given the low profit margins of most farms. I would submit that there exist other motivations than profit. Surely you can understand doing something out of stubborness or spite?

And what's wrong with a car wash next door to a school? Are schools supposed to be surrounded with an economic free zone, and if so, for what distance? Things wrong with car wash next to school: noise disrupts studies, traffic kills kids. You would not make a very good city planner, buddy.

The Burbank (yes, that Burbank) city council had to make a determination very similar to this a few years ago. They found in favor or the businessman but for extenuating circumstances: The zoning should not have permitted the school (it had been placed there as an extreme emergency measure). Because the businessman had applied for the license for the carwash prior to the existance of the school. And generally because, the city council had effectively jerked the businessman around with delays that he did not deserve, and they were sorry about it. In return for the license, the businessman added some noise abatement stuff, and modified the architecture to direct traffic away from the place where kids would be dropped off and picked up. Also put up signage reminding patrons to be careful of kids. Everyone was happy.