WINDSOR – The plans to build a new Bertie High School are moving along well.

Tuesday night architect Jimmy Hite gave the Bertie County Board of Education an update on the plans, including the information that 11 builders have prequalified for bidding on the job.

“We are still in the design process, but the design is moving towards completion,” Hite told the board.

He gave a list of projects that are complete, including the program design, staff input phase, site survey, floor plan details,  geotechnical survey, traffic impact study and wetland delineation.

Hite said the next step will be to submit plans for agency review which will begin later this week and will continue through April. He said plans are currently to submit the site approval to the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources by April 6.

Hite will also submit the wetlands mitigation to the Division of Water Quality during the first week of April.

Friday will see the architects present a driveway permit application to the North Carolina DOT based on the traffic impact analysis.

They will also submit plans within the next two weeks to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, North Carolina Department of Insurance and North Carolina Environmental Health organization.

Hite said he planned to make a request to the town of Windsor to seek approval for the town to accept the sewer from the new school. That will happen Thursday.

Hite said his firm recently completed pre-qualifying bidders for building of the new school. He said a dozen applications were requested and of that number, 11 submitted prequalification forms.

“We should have a final list of bidders sometime next week,” he said. “We are getting very close to completing plans.”

Board member Pamela Chamblee asked Hite if the number of prequalified bidders was good. Hite said the number was very good.

“Did they have a copy of the floor plan,” Chamblee asked.

Hite said they did not, but simply received a small description of the project and square footage and that it would be built in Bertie County.

Board chair Gloria Lee then asked what was the next step.

“We are working towards getting the agency reviews in place,” Hite said. “We will make a presentation to the county commissioners before we put it out for bids.”

Board member Alton Parker said he was anxious to move forward.

“Mrs. Chamblee and I want to know when we are going to turn a shovel full of dirt,” he said.

Hite said that would happen as soon as possible. He said he wanted to move the project forward.

“As bad as I would like to control the agencies who review the plans, I cannot,” he said.

Hite promised to continue to keep the board informed as they move forward with the project.