WINDSOR – The site chosen for the new Bertie High School will work.

That was the information provided to the Bertie County Commissioners Monday by architect Jimmy Hite and Carl Bonner of Terracon Consulting.

“I understand you have had some questions about the site being suitable,” Hite said. “There are some peculiarities of the soil and I wanted to provide you information.”

Hite then introduced Bonner, whose company did the initial site work for the new high school site which is located across from the current Bertie High School and adjacent to Bertie Middle School.

Bonner said he found the site to be constructable and added there was a high water table, but that was normal for rural areas. He further stated the site will be raised four or five feet before construction begins.

He said elevating the site would help in two ways. First it would make it easier to build on and remove the water as an issue. Secondly it creates a layer of good soil which will support the building.

The only place where additional support will be required are in columns in the gym and the auditorium. Those places will see the supports drilled into the lower soil level.

Hite asked Bonner if there were any reason to anticipate soil movement in the next 10 or 20 years and Bonner said there was not.

“Is it unusual to build on this type of soil,” Commission Vice Chairman J. Wallace Perry asked.

“Not in eastern North Carolina,” Bonner said.

The engineer added that most of the good sites to use for construction had been used already.

The board accepted the report.