Sometimes projects that seem to make all the sense in the world on the drawing board run into opposition from a variety of sources - opposition that can threaten the projects' success. Consider these possibilities:

After years of deferred maintenance, a large, but outdated hotel finds itself in a state of disrepair. It has reached a point where it clearly cannot continue to function without extensive and costly renovations. To finance those renovations, the owners develop a plan to convert some of the property to condos and some of the public spaces to retail. From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense. It breathes new life into a long-neglected property, saves it from potential ruin, and provides a mechanism through which the economics work for the owners.

But preservationists argue that certain elements of the building's interior have historic significance and should be landmarked - which would make many of the renovation plans impossible to implement.

Another hotel in a suburban community wants to expand, creating additional rooms and a new state-of-the-art conference center that will attract business users from around the region and provide a strong boost to the local economy. But instead of welcoming the project, local residents threaten to block ...