A lot of these NIMBY campaigns are a veneer for plain old corruption. Don't want your competition getting into your territory? Use a home owner association or a city council seat that you or a friend are a part of to obstruct them. That small business is owned by someone outside your church? Well they aren't getting a liquor license for their convenience store.

Often there is some underlying motive coming from bigotry or greed. However there is always the person with too much time on their hands who gets a kick out of having power over others.