Communities that prefer modest or rapid growth could encourage compact development patterns that discourage the inefficient use of land. No law, no rule, no ordinance requires a community to open up the flood gates to low density suburban sprawl. New residential development is good for the tax base. Low density single family development requires more public service than the tax dollars it generates. Most new subdivision are subsidized by other taxpayers.
Agriculture is no longer a viable use.
A recent article in the Michigan Farmer magazine reports that the prices of farmland are rising, in part, because of increases in farm income in Michigan. Thousands of acres of prime farmland exist in the region and should not be considered merely a holding zone for future development. You can't deny property owners the right to do what they want with their land. Courts have told communities for over 70 years that local governments have the right to reasonably determine the pattern of growth and the land uses permitted on private property. Many land use laws were enacted to protect society at large from the decisions of a few.