Guilford Selectmen Approve $36,000 Study on Police Department Facility Needs

Guilford Selectmen Approve $36,000 Study on Police Facility Needs

The Guilford Board of Selectmen voted 3-0 on March 25, 2026 to approve a $36,000 study assessing the long-term facility needs of the Guilford Police Department, with the review set to determine whether the town should renovate its aging station or construct a new one.

First Selectman Matthew Hoey and selectmen Rosemarie DiManno and Robert Renner cast votes in favor of the assessment. One board member was absent. The town has contracted Silver Petrucelli & Associates, a Hamden-based architecture and engineering firm with prior public safety facility experience, to conduct the study.

Guilford Police Station Has Operated for Nearly 30 Years

The Guilford Police Department is headquartered at 400 Church Street in a building constructed around 1996. Police Chief Christopher Massey has flagged a range of maintenance and capacity issues with the structure, including a deteriorating roof that has raised the question of whether targeted repairs remain cost-effective relative to new construction. Massey has also cited the need for window replacements, HVAC upgrades, expanded garage and sally port space, and a larger women's locker room — the last item tied to a department goal of reaching a 30 percent female officer workforce by 2030.

Lt. Tim Bernier told selectmen the station was built without anticipating the department's subsequent growth, and that staff members are now working in improvised spaces including converted closets.

"The police department's needs are only going to increase as the town grows," said Selectman DiManno. Selectman Renner described the study as a tool for gathering data to inform both project timing decisions and a taxpayer impact assessment.

Study Scope and Timeline

Silver Petrucelli & Associates, headquartered at 3190 Whitney Avenue in Hamden, will evaluate the department's programming and space requirements before producing a facility development plan identifying options and associated cost ranges for the town. The study is expected to conclude around September 2026, giving selectmen and the Board of Finance a set of planning scenarios to consider this fall.

The firm previously completed a comparable facility needs assessment for the North Branford Police Department, a reference point that selectmen cited in approving the contract.

Growing Town, Growing Demands

Guilford, a shoreline community of approximately 22,264 residents, has experienced continued population growth alongside new residential development approvals in recent years. Town officials cited increased calls for service and an expanding department workforce as the primary reasons the current facility may no longer meet long-term operational needs.

The $36,000 study does not commit Guilford to any construction or renovation spending. Rather, it is a pre-planning investment intended to define the scope and cost parameters of any future capital project before the town brings it to a wider approval process. Depending on what the assessment recommends — renovation of the Church Street building, construction of a new facility on an existing or new site, or a phased hybrid — selectmen would need additional approvals and likely a public vote before proceeding.

No scope-of-work documents have been released publicly as of press time, and the town has not announced a schedule for public forums or community input sessions during the study period.

Next Steps for Guilford Capital Planning

With findings expected in fall 2026, the police facility study will feed into broader capital planning discussions alongside other municipal infrastructure needs. The Board of Finance and Board of Selectmen would typically need to review any resulting project before it could be placed before voters.

The town has not publicly discussed preferred sites or renovation scenarios, and no cost estimates for construction or major renovation have been released.

Got a tip? Reach out to us at tips@thequinnipiacpost.com.