AMHERST — A possible reconstruction of the War Memorial Pool bathhouse, a centerpiece of a larger overhaul of downtown’s Community Field, is in line to get an additional $500,000 from the town’s Community Preservation Act account.

The CPA Committee in December made a unanimous recommendation in support of the new bathhouse, the largest of 11 projects, totaling $1.65 million, it is endorsing.

Combined with $638,500 in previous debt, including borrowing costs associated with $1 million for a new special collections room at the expanded and renovated Jones Library and $1.6 million going to the track and field project at the high school, the full CPA Committee recommendation is for spending $2.29 million.

The request for bathhouse funding from town officials was scaled back from an initial ask of $850,000. The money, if appropriated, would be combined with $750,000 previously approved, meaning that the project is more than a quarter of the way toward the $4 million needed for the building that would have bathrooms, changing rooms, offices and community space.

Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek told the committee that the town is trying to pull together funding over the course of two or more fiscal years to use as leverage or a match for town capital funds, outside grants and other sources of money. The next phase is to complete design and get bid documents ready for the building that would replace an existing 1950s era bathhouse.

The challenge for the town, Ziomek said, is whether the investment makes sense with other capital needs, including the new elementary school, the library expansion, a new fire station in South Amherst and new Department of Public Works headquarters.

“Like the track and field, we’re going to have to stretch to try to do this,” Ziomek said, observing that decisions need to be made about whether the town is committed to two outdoor pools during the summer, with the other in North Amherst at Mill River Recreation Area.

The next largest amount recommended from CPA is $300,000 for the Amherst Affordable Housing Trust. Though reduced from $500,000, this is seen as sufficient for helping to bring more homes for low- and moderate-income families, including possible development at the former VFW site on Main Street.

The CPA Committee is supporting a range of projects for affordable housing, open space, recreation and historic preservation such as $210,000 to rehabilitate historic stained glass windows at the Jewish Community of Amherst, $100,000 for fabricating new conservation area signs and kiosks and $88,520 for fixing Wildwood Cemetery’s Dickinson Farmhouse, built in the 18th century.

Another $90,000 would go toward buying parks equipment and $80,000 would upgrade Mill River’s baseball fields, while $40,000 would support replacement of the North Cemetery’s white picket fence on East Pleasant Street, which member David Williams said should be prioritized because it appears no one is concerned about that site.

“All of the fence around it is falling down and nothing is happening, and it’s been this way for about five years,” Williams said.

The final two projects are $100,000 for Groff Park accessibility improvements and $15,000 for the Historical Commission’s modern architecture survey.

CPA Committee Chairman Sam MacLeod said the committee was largely unified on the projects, with almost all unanimous votes, praising town staff and colleagues. “This has gone quite smoothly,” he said, pointing to deliberations by town staff that brought forward concepts for achieving the overall objectives of the town.

The recommendations will go to the Town Council and the Finance Committee for review, with eventual approval of the spending by councilors in the spring.