East Lyme – Talk of the need for a new East Lyme High School athletic field has been going on for a couple of years, but the proposal is now pushing forward at a swift pace.

The Board of Selectmen voted 5-1 late Wednesday to appropriate $3,450,000 for the East Lyme Athletic Complex, authorize the issuance of bonds to pay for it and schedule a town meeting on the matter. Selectman Rose Ann Hardy was the sole dissenter.

The selectmen’s vote moves the project along to a public information meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the high school auditorium; to the Board of Finance on Wednesday; to a town meeting on Feb. 15; and to a referendum vote, tentatively scheduled for Feb. 28.

The proposal would include a new artificial turf field, track, bleachers and lights. Of the total cost, $500,000 would be dedicated to developing a new entryway into the complex — complete with a new traffic light — and a renovated parking lot that would add some 150 parking spaces, First Selectman Paul Formica said.