Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Proposed Improvements to Pedestrian Access in Five Locations in Downtown Sandersville, Washington County, Georgia

Project PI No. 0015402 is located in downtown Sandersville, Washington County, Georgia. The proposed pedestrian improvements consist of improving sidewalks and lighting, removing above-ground utilities, road resurfacing, adding Americans with Disabilities (ADA)-compliant ramps and crosswalks, and adding landscape planting along five streets in the historic commercial center of the City of Sandersville. Work will be conducted on Brookins Street (St) between State Route (SR) 24/West (W) Church St and W Haynes St for approximately 0.3 kilometers (km) (0.2 miles [mi]), on Jernigan St between Warthen St and SR 15/North (N) Harris St for approximately 0.3 km (0.2 mi), on Gilmore St between SR 15/N Harris St and N Smith St for approximately 0.5 km (0.3 mi), on Smith St between SR 24/East (E) Church St and Gilmore St for approximately 0.5 km (0.3 mi), and on E Church St between SR 15/Harris St and Smith St for approximately 0.5 km (0.3 mi). The total project length is approximately 2.09 km (1.3 mi).

The majority of improvements are proposed within the existing right-of-way (ROW). Gilmore St improvements will require the addition of 10.7 meters (m) (35 feet [ft]) of ROW from an adjacent city-owned property. Existing ROW within the project area ranges from 9.14 to 16.8 m (30 to 55 ft). The Gilmore St ROW width will expand from 12.2 to 22.9 m (40 to 75 ft) with the addition of a landscaped median. The speed limit varies from 25 to 45 miles per hour along the surface streets within the project limit. Most existing travel lane widths will remain unchanged. The travel lanes on Brookins St will be reduced from 4.9 to 3.7 m (16 to 12 ft), and the travel lanes on SR 24/ E and W Church St will be reduced from 4 to 3.7 m (13 to 12 ft).

Proposed improvements include widening or adding 1.8 m (6 ft) (minimum) wide sidewalks with brick accents similar to improvements on recently constructed E Haynes St. Improvements also include the addition of ADA accessible ramps with decorative pedestrian lighting. Additional improvements include a sidewalk linkage to the local urban trail network, pedestrian improvements in the commercial district along Gilmore St, and linkage to several key historic sites.

Road improvements for Gilmore St would include the addition of a landscaped median and parallel on-street parking, repaving with pre-cast concrete pavers to simulate cobblestone paving on Jernigan St, and milling and paving of Smith St, SR 24/E and W Church St, and Brookins St. Utility improvements include the removal of all above-ground overhead utility lines and improvements as necessary for stormwater management.

EP conducted a search of Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information System (GNAHRGIS) and the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF), resulting in the identification of no previously recorded archaeological sites within a 1 km (0.62 mi) radius of the ESB.

9WG306 - Old City Cemetery (Sandersville) (# 87001296) The Old City Cemetery is within the viewshed of the ESB, albeit just the southeast corner and eastern edge of the cemetery. The cemetery is approximately 100 m (328 ft) west of the ESB on SR 24/W Church St and measures 156 m (511.8 ft) long by 164 m (538 ft) wide and is orientated north to south (see Figure 8). The cemetery was listed as a historic property on the NRHP in 1987 (#87001296) (Ferguson 1987). It was not recorded with the GASF as an archaeological site until this current Phase I archaeological survey.