Areas of land are divided by appropriate authorities into zones within which various uses are permitted.Thus, zoning is a technique of land-use planning as a tool of urban planning used by local governments in most developed countries.Because of the importance of zoning and regulating the manner of property use, which of the following statements is most accurate:

a. it is almost impossible to obtain a variance in zoning

b. it is possible to obtain a variance to use property for purposes other than how the property is zoned, but in granting permission for such a special use the governing entity granting such permission must use its discretion to insure compatible use and that zoning scheme is not disrupted

c. changing zoning to allow some landowner to use property other than what is permitted for that land is 'spot zoning' and unlawful in most states

d. variances were rendered unlawful pursuant to the federal civil rights laws because they were used to discriminate against people unlawfully