After two years of work by supporters, new legislation and two lawsuits by opponents, the referendum that would have created the city of Eagle’s Landing failed at the polls.

More than 7,500 people cast ballots on the measure, both in and out of the Stockbridge city limits, and 57 percent voted no. Residents in the Eagle’s Landing community wanted to form their own city and also take portions of the existing city of Stockbridge, whose leaders fought the measure relentlessly over the past year.

A federal lawsuit and an appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court were pending at the time of the vote.