Newtown is going to have a new community center.

With 1,628 voters choosing Yes to a 1,205 count of No votes on Tuesday, April 5, a proposal for a new community center with multipurpose spaces and an aquatic center to include a 50-meter pool and a smaller zero-entry pool has passed.

A total number of 2,833 (including 79 absentee ballots) residents got out to the polls at Newtown Middle School - only 16 percent of the registered voters in town. The number is slightly lower than the more than 3,000 people who took an online poll inquiring about community needs/preferences late last year as part of an outreach effort by the Community Center Commission to hear residents' input.

Minutes after the polls closed at 8 pm, absentee ballots - 40 Yes and 39 No - created apprehension of how close the final vote would be. Minutes later election moderator Will Frampton held the machine tape in his hands and read out the unofficial numbers.

With hugs, handshakes and laughter, commission members gathered at Newtown Middle School expressed relief, for one thing.

Sheila Torres turned to Carla Kron saying, "I am so excited." The group had spent more than a year paring down ideas into the final proposal.

Declining comment and instead turning to the commission members around her Tuesday evening, First Selectman Pat Llodra deferred comments to "the best group" to offer reactions.

"They carried the water here," she said of the Community Center Commission.

She said to various members of the commission who were in the gymnasium for the results on Tuesday, including Sean Dunn, Bill Buchler, and Co-chair Brian Hartgraves, "We'll need you all to stay involved."  She wants their voices heard as the project is executed, she told them.

Saying he was "elated" with the passing referendum, Mr Hartgraves said, "We've been working for over a year and the work paid off. The town is in line for a great community center."

Mr Buchler observed, "Obviously some [voters] saw issues. So, we have to make sure that this is not a burden to the town." He spoke with people Tuesday who who were concerned about their taxes.

Mr Hartgraves credited the financial subcommittee, which did lengthy research into costs to operate various ideas, and what revenue they might generate. They "put together a great story about how this can run," he said.

Looking ahead to the next steps to break ground at Fairfield Hills on land already set aside near the NYA Sports & Fitness Center, Mr Buchler said, "Now the work starts."

Mr Dunn confirmed that the town would prepare the proposal to go out to bid.

Legislative Councilman Ryan Knapp expressed his relief that the project passed.

"I'm glad this went to voters and glad voters made a decision. Now we can move forward," he said.

Voters on Tuesday passed a proposal for a 43,000-square-foot facility with flexible programming space for the community and an aquatics area with both a gradual or zero-entry pool, and a larger 50-meter multipurpose pool.

The project is intended to serve the community and offer a place for people to gather and be together. It is intended for all residents to use the facility - seniors, toddlers, adults, teens, families, as well as local organizations and groups.

A 2013 gift from the GE Foundation of $15 million is intended to fund the development, construction, and operation of a community center. From GE are $10 million to design and build, and another $5 million to underwrite at least five years of operating expenses.

The town is bonding an additional $5 million approved in this year's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to supplement the initial $10 million capital gift given to the community by GE after 12/14. The town's CIP in past years prior to the GE gift has earmarked funds for a community center.

The last two decades have seen community center plans simmer up, but never boil as the project failed to gain favor among residents. Since the GE funds, this is the second attempt by a committee to create a proposal that would pass voter approval. A past plan had been dropped when residents did not support the effort, which also included a pool and multipurpose space for seniors, children, and the town population in general including arts and other programming.