That's exactly right. I have so many frustrating stories from local politics that go exactly like you described.

There is hope. Scott Wiener is a California politician who saw that these problems can't be resolved at the local level and got himself elected to the state legislature. He is smart about how he sets up the battles so he has had very good results incrementally improving California's zoning - and other things - by gradually restricting local zoning authority when it's abused.

We are not yet at the "convenience store at the subdivision corner" stage, but give him time.