Massachusetts town says woman living in tiny cottage has to vacate
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A Massachusetts town voted Thursday to reject a proposal that would’ve allowed a woman who had been living in a tiny house she built as a college student to live there legally.
The Republican of Springfield reported that voters at a town meeting in Hadley decided not to legalize backyard cottages.
Sarah Hastings has been living in her 190-square-foot home on a parcel owned by another couple for the last year. She built the dwelling while she was an architecture studies student at Mount Holyoke College.
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Some Hadley residents objected to the tiny home because Hastings failed to go through the required permitting process. Residents struck down the proposal in a 206 to 139 vote.
"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," Hastings wrote in an email to the paper. "This doesn't feel like a total roadblock to me: By living lightly, I have also learned to have a light heart."
She was given a day to move out. Hastings says she'll try to find another location for her house.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.