HADLEY - Sarah Hastings and her tiny house will not be able to remain in town.

After a lengthy discussion Thursday night, Town Meeting voters rejected a proposal to amend the town's accessory apartment bylaw to include backyard cottages.

The meeting's strong attendance of 426 -- typical turnout is around 100 --was due in part to the article, Town Clerk Jessica Spanknebel said. Interest was also high in an article, also rejected by voters, that proposed the Hooker School property as a site for a new library.

The tiny house proposal failed 215 opposed to 102 in favor, while the vote against the library article was 206 to 139.

A two-thirds vote was required to approve the zoning bylaw change.

In an email Friday, Hastings wrote, "1/3 of the attendees voted yes and there were so many passionate comments (from) people who did support it."

She said she felt the effort was worthy and that she was proud to have advanced the bylaw as a possible solution, adding that "... it did make a point and begin an important conversation here."

"Hadley is a tough town when it comes to change and I can only wish the town the best of luck in providing for future needs," she wrote, continuing: "This doesn't feel like a total roadblock to me: By living lightly, I have also learned to have a light heart."

Hastings has been living in her 190-square-foot house on an East Street parcel owned by Ron and Donna Adams since last year. The structure overlooks three-plus acres of farmland.

The Mount Holyoke College graduate built the home while a student in architecture studies.

Some residents had objected to the process because she was living on land in violation of the town bylaw. The Zoning Board allowed her to stay pending the Town Meeting vote.

Building Inspector Timothy Neyhart said he was hoping people would judge the proposal for what it was -- a modification of the town bylaw. But "everybody's throwing in that she's doing this without permits. That should have been separate."

He also criticized Planning Board member Joseph Zgrodnik for saying the dwellings would end up "as student stuffers."

The same concern was raised when the town adopted the accessory use bylaw. Neyhart said since the town adopted that bylaw about a decade ago, fewer than 24 such units have been built.

Hastings, meanwhile, has a day to vacate her home. She was at town offices Friday to provide a notarized letter stating all of her utilities have been disconnected and she will not be living there while she finds a place to move the structure. She is seeking permission to keep the building at the East Street site until she finds a new location for it outside of Hadley.

Neyhart said he is talking to the Planning Board and town officials to see if they will agree to that proposal. He said anyone in town can have a shed 200 square-feet or less without a permit.

In her email, Hastings wrote "My roots won't grow in Hadley, but I am excited to move on to my next steps in life, wherever they may be!"