He did.
He was hoping that the board would rezone his property so he could secure a business loan on more favorable terms.
Basically he was hoping that the board would vote to give him free money - his rights weren't infringed - they just didn't help him with his rent-seeking plans.
wideawake, you might need so more caffeine. He wasn’t after free money, he needed to restructure his debt. The balance of power is out of proportion in favor of these zoning boards. You should be free to do what you need to do unless someone can show it will cause significant harm. If he lost the vote 5-7, it doesn’t seem logical that his plan was going to be a detriment to the community.