A Phase I Archaeological Resources Report of the State Route 236 (La Vista Road)/ State Route 42 (Briarcliff Road) Intersection Improvements Project, DeKalb County, Georgia

On April 7 and April 13, 2017, AECOM Technical Services, Inc. (AECOM) conducted a Phase I archaeological fieldwork for the proposed intersection improvements project at State Route (SR) 236 (LaVista Road) and SR 42 (Briarcliff Road) in DeKalb. The project is located in northeast Atlanta in DeKalb County, Georgia (Figure 1). A Phase I archaeological survey was undertaken in 2011 by Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) for a previous iteration of this undertaking (P.I. No. 753290)(Pietak 2011). This survey did not record any archaeological resources. The current Phase I archaeological survey built upon the findings of the previous survey and recorded Site 9DA159, the Peachtree Baptist Church Cemetery. Site 9DA159 is recommended eligible for inclusion in the NRHP under Criterion D with Consideration D, based on an evaluation of the above-ground features at the site.

The proposed project would consist of reconfiguring the intersection of SR 42/Briarcliff Road and SR 236/LaVista Road to improve multi-modal operations and safety. Both SR 42/Briarcliff Road and SR 236/LaVista Road would be widened to accommodate a dedicated left turn lane, one exclusive thru lane, and a shared thru/right turn lane for all intersection approaches. Proposed lane widths would be 11 feet wide. Other intersection improvements would include upgrades to signal timing connections, new 5-foot sidewalks with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps, and 4-foot bike lanes on SR 42/Briarcliff Road limited to intersection approaches. Retaining walls would be proposed on the east side of SR 42/Briarcliff Road in front of the shopping centers. Existing right-of-way (ROW) is 65-100 feet. Proposed ROW would be 75-125 feet. The proposed project length is 1,900 ft. along Briarcliff Road and approximately 2,000 ft. along LaVista Road.