In March 2019, Trileaf Corporation (Trileaf) performed a cultural resource inventory survey for a proposed guyed tower telecommunication facility located in Burke County, Waynesboro, Georgia (Latitude: 32° 58' 13.37” Longitude: -81° 59' 58.81”). The project location is located within a wooded area.
Tillman Infrastructure, LLC proposes the construction of a new guyed cell tower with a total height of 305 feet (93.0 meters). The new tower and associated equipment will be situated within a proposed approximate 100 x 100-foot (30.5 x 30.5 meter) cell tower lease area. A proposed approximate 20 x 500-foot (6.1 x 152.4 meter) access and utility easement will travel southwest, then southeast linking the lease area to Brinson Pond Road. In addition, there are three (3) proposed approximate 30 x 110-foot (9.1 x 33.5-meter) guyed easements extending northeast, southeast, and northwest away from the proposed lease area. Total acreage of the new construction area is approximately 0.69 acres (0.28 Hectares).
Senior Project Archaeologist Zach Horne, M.A., RPA, under the direction of Trileaf, 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’s Direct APE. Additionally, the Georgia Historic Preservation Division has identified and mapped historic resource (BU-330/Prescott Pond Mill) from a 1978 Burke County survey, which is located within the project’s ¾-mile APE for visual effects. This resource is recommended NRHP-eligible under Criterion A (Industry), and Criterion C (Architecture). However, due to distance, intervening vegetation, and topography, the project will have no adverse effect on the character-defining attributes that would make this resource NRHP-eligible. Additionally, during the pedestrian survey, a previously non-surveyed house was identified on the south side of Brinson Pond Road south of the Subject Property, and within the project’s ¾-mile visual APE. The previously unknown house is in an advanced state of decay and does not represent the exceptional characteristics that would make it NRHP-eligible.
Based on these findings, Trileaf recommends No Historic Properties in the APE for Direct Effects and No Adverse Effect to Historic Properties within the ¾-mile APE for Visual Effects. 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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