MrsR,

I don't believe that there is a whiff of lynch mob about the residents association at all, and that is one of the core issues here - there don't appear to be enough supporters of this action to create a mob.

It strikes me that it is purely a case of a small minority number of people, using the perceived "respectability" of a resident's association to advance their personal opinions. To the detriment of a specific local business, and without the knowledge of those they should pretend to represent.