I can't speak for Cali, butt in Toronto the reason planning departments can be abusive is because of zoning. Every building is de jure illegal because of zonin

I can't speak for Cali, butt in Toronto the reason planning departments can be abusive is because of zoning. Every building is de jure illegal because of zoning, so every build requires a variance from the zoning and the official plan, resulting in a multi-year process of negotiations, public consultation, horse trading, adjudications, and delays. This means endless years of legal fees, filing fees, and carrying costs before they can build. The zoning and plan are what enables this sandbagging. Nothing is allowed as of right. Housing is only legal in the same way that murder is legal: it isn't but there's a process for getting a pardon.