This argument discusses a plan with the stated goal “to prevent overcrowding.” Two points of view are represented in the argument: one is that of the town zoning board, the originators of the plan, and the other is that of critics of the plan. The question asks for information that would most support the claims of the critics of the plan.

(A) How other towns fared under similar zoning plans is irrelevant to this argument, unless additional information was presented to connect the situation of this town to those. There is no such connecting information, so this choice neither strengthens nor weakens either point of view.

(B) How long it has been since the construction of the last school in town is irrelevant to this argument. The argument addresses methods to prevent overcrowding, an issue that is not directly related to school construction.

(C) The argument never mentions property taxes, so how property taxes in this town compare to those in neighboring towns is irrelevant.

(D) CORRECT. The argument states that “the town zoning board limited the number of new buildings that can be constructed in the town in any given year.” The goal of this plan is to prevent overcrowding but only does so indirectly: the town zoning board plan limits the number of new buildings, except for apartment buildings. If many new residents move into town, then the strain on town services will not decrease and may, in fact, increase.

(E) The distance to the nearest garbage dump is irrelevant to an argument about how to prevent overcrowding.