After months of campaigning, a heated debate over a state-mandated plan that would have made it easier to build multifamily housing in parts of Needham came to a head Tuesday when voters soundly rejected the new zoning.

Needham became the latest Massachusetts suburb to shoot down a controversial state-mandated MBTA zoning plan, but its Select Board chairman says the town won’t follow in Milton’s footsteps. Needham residents voted Tuesday to repeal zoning that would have made the Greater Boston town compliant with the MBTA Communities Act – a plan that carried much more weight than what the state law requires.

The proposal would have created capacity for roughly 3,300 units near two of the town's commuter rail station stops.

This means the town will continue to be out of compliance with the MBTA Communities Act and could miss out on state funding opportunities.

Opponents of Needham’s plan to allow more multifamily housing under the MBTA Communities law defeated the measure on Tuesday.

Massachusetts' highest court just decided the state could force certain communities to allow multi-family housing. Will Needham comply?

Residents in Needham struck down a zoning plan that would have allowed the town to construct more units of multi-family housing than what’s required to be in compliance with the MBTA Communities Act.

Citizens in Needham voted to reject a referendum to build multifamily housing near its MBTA Commuter Rail station.Needham will need to<a class="excerpt-read-more" href=" More

NEEDHAM - Needham residents have voted against the town's plan to comply with the MBTA Communities Law, even as the state filed emergency regulations intended to enforce the rules. According to preliminary special election results,

In a closely watched special election Tuesday night, Needham voted to repeal new zoning that would have made the town compliant with a controversial Massachusetts law that aims to create more housing in communities served by the MBTA.