GUILFORD – Higher-than-expected cost estimates are delaying construction of the new Guilford town hall and highway garage and forcing planners to re-think the size of the project, a building committee member said last week.

The building committee is also interviewing three candidates to fill a part-time “clerk of the works” position to oversee construction once it starts and act as a liaison to the town board.

Right now the new buildings are carrying around a $2,475,000 price tag, according to town board and building committee member Bruce Winsor, which would put the project $825,000 over budget. Voters only approved $1.65 million.

“We’re going to have to back-up a little bit,” said Winsor. “We’re going to have to consider a lot of options.”

Those options include possibly cutting more square footage and only building one of the two facilities. As a result of recent cuts, the proposed highway garage has gone from 11,700 to 10,200 square feet, and the town hall from 4,000 to 3,100 square feet. Winsor says they will likely have to be reduced further.

“We’re going to have to do something different,” he said.

The project will not reflect an increase in town taxes, officials have said.

The committee is blaming rising steel and fuel costs for the 50 percent hike, pointing out that both have risen 20 to 30 percent since the project was first proposed over two years ago.