Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday deferred approval of a $324 million wish list of building projects for the next six years.

Though approving the list, known as the Capital Improvements Plan, would not have required the commission to build the projects — the expense is too large, and most proposals are never built — commissioners said they wanted to give it better study.

“We received this four days ago,” Commissioner Dennis “Boog” Highberger said.

“I would like to take it, study it,” Commissioner David Schauner said. “I would like to know more about what’s in it.”

The 160 projects in the plan range from downtown work to parks purchases to road improvements. City planner David Guntert said the plan was developed from suggestions by city agencies, neighborhood associations, other special-interest groups and the public.

Not every project was popular. Members of the Barker Neighborhood Assn. asked that road improvements for Learnard Avenue be removed from the list. Commissioners agreed.

And Pat Kehde, a downtown bookstore owner and former librarian, argued against a proposed satellite of the Lawrence Public Library for west Lawrence. The $245,000 library is slated for 2004.

The satellite library, she said, could cost as much as $1 million annually and would draw attention and resources away from the main library at 707 Vt.

She said the library, along with the post office branch across the street, help form the core of downtown.

“I think removing them, or watering them down, would be really detrimental to downtown,” she said.

Library Director Bruce Flanders has said a west Lawrence satellite would help his agency better serve that area. Kehde said Lawrence should follow Topeka’s model and use “bookmobiles” instead.

“If you want to have outreach to peripheral neighborhoods, that would be a far less expensive way to go,” she said.

Commissioners have put away money the last two years in anticipation of opening a satellite library. But Commissioner Mike Rundle said that doesn’t mean a final decision has been made.

“We haven’t made any long-term commitments yet,” he said.

The commission will consider the Capital Improvements Plan at its next meeting, 6:35 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall, Sixth and Massachusetts streets.