HALFMOON — The town will use its surplus money to cover two large jumps in construction costs for the Halfmoon Town Hall and the Family Park, so taxes will not have to be increased to pay for the highly anticipated project, officials said.

Plagued by delays since its inception, the town park was originally part of a joint building project along with the new Town Hall, which opened last December. But development of the park, located on property on Route 236 northwest of Town Hall, was stalled for more than two years because of the historic and environmental nature of the 55 acres. The site contains wetlands, which are protected by federal laws. In addition, as site preparation began in 2005, significant artifacts were uncovered, including American Indian arrowheads and rock shavings dating back to 1800 B.C.

The ensuing archaeological studies added almost two years to the park construction, as well as carrying additional costs.

When the building plan was launched in 2004, original estimates totaled $11.9 million to build the Town Hall and park, which were to be built at the same time. Town Supervisor Mindy Wormuth said that amount was bonded after a public hearing at which no town residents turned out to question or oppose the borrowing.

The Town Board voted to increase the budget for the two projects in August 2006 to $13 million, with the additional money to be drawn from the general fund surplus.

With Town Hall construction completed and the go-ahead given in April to build on wetlands by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Town Board reviewed the project budget again. Last month, the board voted to add up to $2 million to the park construction budget, drawing up to $600,000 from the town recreation account, and up to $1.4 million from the surplus. At its May 20 meeting, the board invited residents to comment on this decision, but no residents attended.

“The Town Hall and park are projects that town residents have requested and supported all along the way,” Wormuth said. “We did a recreation survey in 2004 and the response was very clear this was something families were looking for.”

Project budget increases were due to rapidly rising prices of building materials such as copper and steel, as well as fuel hikes, Wormuth said.

Budget transfers from the surplus will be done on a line-by-line basis, rather than withdrawing it in one lump sum into the capital account for the park project in order to monitor expenses as the town park project proceeds.

“We’ll be reviewing costs as they come in,” Wormuth said. “Any funds not expended will stay in those accounts.”

The town’s Family Park is slated to feature a clubhouse, youth pavilion, two picnic pavilions, amphitheater, bicycle and walking trails, two separate restroom facilities, roads and parking lots.

Organizers also hope to include environmentally friendly wooden boardwalks through the wetland areas for nature trails. Groundbreaking ceremonies will take place this month, with construction running about 18 months.

The park will also include seven or eight baseball fields, which is good news for teams displaced from Town Hall property while the new municipal center was being built.

“We had to move a couple of leagues, but we were loaned space by Mechanicville and Shenendehowa schools,” Mike Halpern, director of the Halfmoon Baseball League, said.

“When the park opens, we’ll centralize all our teams there and be able to run tournaments.”

The league has 350 families, and Halpern said other fields at Woodin and Harris Roads could be used for practices or make-up games, or be loaned out to neighboring towns needing space.

For the last four years, families around town have been looking forward to opening day of the park.

“It would be great to have a real park with lots of room,” said Peg Kingston, as she watched her daughter Lucy slide down the small play gym in back of the old Town Hall Monday. “Pavilions and some shade trees would be nice, too.”