In July 2020, Trileaf Corporation (Trileaf) performed a cultural resource inventory survey for a proposed self-support lattice communications tower located in Fannin County, Blue Ridge, Georgia (Latitude: 34° 52’ 6.96” N Longitude: -84° 18’ 25.11” W). The project location is located within a grassed and graveled lot.
Verizon Wireless proposes the construction of a new self-support lattice telecommunications tower with an overall height of 245 feet (74.7 meters). The new tower and associated equipment will be situated within a proposed approximate 75 x 100-foot (22.9 x 30.5 meter) cell tower lease area. A proposed approximate 30 x 300-foot (9.1 x 91.4 meter) access and utility easement will travel generally north-northwest then west towards Aska Road. The proposed access and utility easement are currently developed as an existing gravel road. Total acreage of the new construction area is approximately 0.44 acres (0.18 Hectares).
Assistant Archaeology Project Manager/Senior 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, based on a map and survey form search using the resources of the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office GNAHRGIS GIS platform, inspections of the Georgia Archaeological Site Files (GASF 2020), as well as the resources of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) conducted by Zach Horne, Assistant Archaeology Project Manager/Senior Archaeologist of the Trileaf Corporation, on July 22, 2020 identified no NRHP-listed or NRHP-eligible historical resources located within the ¾-mile APE for visual effects. However, one (1) GNAHRGIS historical property (30464/non-extant), and three (3) historical properties (5171 Old Highway 76, 5172 Old Highway 76, and 4041 East First Street) were identified on the Fannin County tax assessor’s website by Senior Planner Kevin McAuliff of the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, with no prior determination of NRHP-eligibility, but included for inclusivity. A review of archaeological sites and surveys, conducted through GNAHRGIS by Zach Horne, M.A., RPA on August 5, 2020, identified one (1) previously recorded archeological site (9FN32), and nine (9) archaeological surveys (13733, 13496, 13348, 10821, 8670, 13496, 11053, 10620, and 11887) that were identified within 1-mile of the proposed project area.
Based on these findings, Trileaf recommends No Historic Properties within the Direct APE and No Historic Properties within the ¾-mile 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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