MERRY HILL, N.C. (WNCT) — Bertie County hosted a celebration on Saturday at the new Bertie County Beach to mark the completion of phase one of the opening of the new recreation spot.
“Lots of folks in the county waiting for this moment, they’ve been super patient,” said Robin Payne, a consultant for the county who has focused on the ‘Tall Glass of Water Project,’ which is the project that brought this beach to life.
“The project is 147 acres, it’s a vision that the county commissioners had about five years ago, and it’s all about bringing the public to the water and having a public access point to the beach,” said Payne.
Senator Bobby Hanig of NC’s District 3 was also in attendance at the celebration.
“Well, it’s just so exciting to see some great vision really come to life here, giving these folks a place to come into the water and see the nature and all the trails,” Hanig said.
Hanig mentioned that while this new beach works as a tourist attraction and can bring in revenue for the county, it definitely has additional benefits.
“Everything you do in government isn’t always about money, it’s about quality of life for these folks, and to bring something like this to these guys who just don’t have the opportunity to get to the beach or go to the lake, and this is right around the corner, it’s just wonderful,” Hanig said.
“So we love it but it’s an access point for the public, for the youth, for families to come together, in talking to people today it’s not just Bertie folks here,” Payne said. “There’s people from Snow Hill and people from Virginia…”
The beach is now open to the public 24/7 but currently does not have lifeguards on duty. While Parks and Recreation work to hire them, officials ask the public to proceed with caution at the new beach.