The recent update on the proposed community center for Newtown holds disappointment for swimmers who dreamed of streaming with sharklike precision from one end of an Olympic-sized pool to the other. Following a referendum in April 2016 in which townspeople voted to use a $15 million gift from GE to create and staff a facility for all community members, and one that would include a pool of "up to 50 meters," subsequent calculations have supported the "up to" part of that proposal rather than the "50-meter" portion.

The aquatic piece of a community center is favored by many residents. It is not ignored as final design ideas move forward - but a 25-yard pool seems to be the largest body of water that fits the space and budget. That advisement was made last fall when Community Center Advisory Committee members heard from the Sports Facilities Advisory firm that a 50-meter pool was not a financial fit. Still, residents attending the March 6 Board of Selectmen meeting seemed to hold out hope that other resources could result in the larger dream pool.

This is not the only aspect of the design plan that raised questions at recent Board of Selectmen meetings. Plans now show the square footage of the proposed community center is shrinking (from a 48,500-square-foot space with 50-meter pool in December 2015; then 43,500 square feet of space with a 50-meter pool 13 months later; and this past month, a space of 32,625 square feet with a 25-yard pool as estimated by Quisenberry Arcari Architects) to accommodate the $10 million construction portion of the gift from GE, plus an additional $5 million to be bonded. The newest iteration of the space is smaller, and will cost more dollars per square foot - but this is based on the latest information and partially attributed to escalating construction costs as the plans linger in limbo.

Additionally, an exclusive senior center adjoined to the community center space, with separate entrance and parking, but direct access into the center is under consideration with a $3 million bonding authorization coming to taxpayers at the April 25 referendum.

While not included in the referendum question presented to voters last year, the senior center addition would not draw from the GE gift earmarked for the community center; nor does its footprint steal from any reserved for the community center. By welcoming only a select population, though, its attachment to the community center - as well as the pool of whatever size - could be seen as contradicting the idea of a multigenerational gathering place that the facility is meant to be. On the other hand, it could be an opportunity to draw in the senior population that might otherwise feel isolated in a freestanding building.

Ultimately, a space that embraces all who call Newtown home must be the outcome.

Moving the project forward depends on design selection that balances the needs and desires of the community as a whole. Continued communication regarding cost and design is essential, though, so that no one is left swimming in confusion.