In May 2018, Trileaf Corporation (Trileaf) performed a cultural resource inventory survey for a proposed raw land self-support tower site located at 442 Miller Mountain Road, Lindale, Floyd County, Georgia, at coordinates 34°07’01.34” N, 85°14’17.18” W. The proposed project lease area consists of a cleared lot with exposed soil and an unsurfaced drive, and a proposed access and utility easement currently occupied by a grass lawn.
Tillman Infrastructure proposes the construction of a new self-support cell tower with a total height of 245 feet (74.7 meters). The new tower and associated equipment will be located in a proposed approximate 100-foot by 100-foot (30.5-meter by 30.5-meter) cell tower lease area. A proposed approximate 30-foot by 300-foot (9.1-meter by 91.4-meter) access and utility easement will connect the proposed lease area to Miller Mountain Road to the southeast. The new tower will occupy approximately 0.44 acres (0.18 hectares) of land.
Under the direction of Trileaf, Staff Archaeologist Andrew Wright, MA, RPA performed this survey in response to the planned use of the above-described parcel and the potential impacts that such use might represent to archaeological and architectural cultural resources. The Phase I cultural resource survey was designed to discover all prehistoric and historical period cultural resources that might be present within the project area.
The field survey of the project area, which included a pedestrian survey, shovel testing, and visual inspection, found no evidence for the presence of archaeological or architectural properties in relation to the current project area or within a 30-foot (9.1-meter) boundary within the Direct APE. A search of Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information System and the Georgia Historic Preservation Division (GAHPD)’s archives revealed there were no NRHP-listed or eligible properties that have been previously identified within the APE for direct effects or the ¾ -mile APE for visual effects.
Trileaf requested information concerning previously discovered archaeological sites within the Direct APE and the ¾-mile APE for visual effects from the Archaeological Site File at the University of Georgia. A search of the Site File records indicated that there were one (1) previously recorded archaeological site (9FL334), and two (2) previously recorded archaeological surveys (5588 and 8336) located within a 1-mile research radius of the tower area. Previously recorded archaeological site (9FL334) has been determined ineligible for listing on the NRHP.
Based on these findings, Trileaf recommends No Historic Properties in both the direct and visual APE. It is therefore recommended that project clearance be granted with no further investigation or evaluation of the project area relative to those resources.
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