MIDDLEBORO — The Middleboro Select Board voted at their Sept. 23 meeting to take no action on a proposed Special Town Meeting article allowing for multi-family housing near the MBTA station.

But that didn’t stop strong opinions from flying during a discussion about the article.

The Planning Board developed a plan that would meet the state’s requirements that MBTA communities must allow multi-family housing within a half mile of a commuter station. Voters will decide whether to approve the plan at the Oct. 7 Special Town Meeting.

Although the three select board members in attendance at the Sept. 23 meeting, Chair Mark Germain, William Pike and Thomas White, agreed they would not take an official board decision, the town has taken specific steps to express displeasure with the requirement.

Town officials have met with state personnel at the State House to attempt to reach a compromise.

Germain said those meetings were unsuccessful at finding common ground. “There’s no way to mediate our way out of this,’’ he said.

Middleboro also submitted a “friend of the court’’ brief supporting the Town of Milton in its legal fight against the requirement.

Germain said that he will speak out against the article at the Oct. 7 meeting. The town will have to bear the “burden of [providing] resources out of our pocket’’ for schools, police and other additional costs the additional residents would create.

“Everything we love about this town will not be the same,’’ he said.

Finance Committee Member Matt Phillips called the requirement “an unfunded mandate.’’ 

“I don’t like a proverbial gun put to my head,’’ he said. “In any other organization, this would be extortion. This doesn’t seem right, ethically, legally or any other way.’’

Finance Committee Member Glenn Montapert questioned whether Special Town Meeting voters would be provided with both sides of the issue. The state has stated that grants could be withheld if the town rejects the zoning change.

“I’m just looking for both sides to be presented,’’ he said.