Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Proposed Development of the Townes at Clarkston Centre Apartments Site Clarkston, DeKalb County, Georgia

In advance of the development of the proposed Townes at Clarkston Centre in Clarkston, DeKalb County, Georgia by Blue Ridge Atlantic on behalf of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), Southern Research, Historic Preservation Consultants, Inc. conducted a Phase I Archaeological Survey to identify significant archaeological resources which might be affected by construction, maintenance, and use of any area within the tract. The Area of Potential Effect (APE) consists of approximately 2.3 acres in DeKalb County. The APE is bounded on the west by North Indian Creek Drive, and on the north by Montreal Road (Figures 1 and 2). Preliminary plans call for the construction of multifamily housing (see Appendix B). Currently, the APE contains one extant building – a warehouse/loading dock.

This Phase I Archaeological Survey was conducted based on the findings and recommendations of a previous cultural resources records review and reconnaissance survey of the APE (Williamson and Wood 2020). In compliance with the Georgia Historic Preservation Division’s Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) regulations, this previous work was part of a due diligence effort designed to identify the potential for issues with significant cultural resources (historic buildings and archaeological sites) in or adjacent to the proposed action within the APE. The Georgia Environmental Policy Act (GEPA) requires an agency to determine if their actions constitute a significant impact to the quality of the environment. The DCA Environmental Manual requires that applicants for their programs provide documentation regarding the effect the proposed project will have on significant historic buildings and archaeological sites. The reconnaissance survey conducted in 2020 identified an unrecorded archaeological site within the APE, and as a result it was recommended that an intensive Phase I survey be conducted of the APE to record and evaluate the site for its significance and eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Properties (NRHP). The DCA, which serves as Georgia’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), provides advisory comments on the agency’s proposed action. The Georgia SHPO concurred with this recommendation for a Phase I survey of the subject property (letter dated July 20, 2020, HPD Reference # GP-200604-001).

The current Phase I survey was conducted in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations concerning the management of historic properties (i.e., archaeological sites, buildings, structures, objects, or districts listed on or eligible for the NRHP) that may be affected by ground disturbing activities associated with the proposed development of the Townes at Clarkston Centre. The field work was conducted by Senior Archaeologist and Principal Investigator Scot Keith and Field Technician Grant Sherwood, on 5 May 2021, and consisted of systematic shovel testing and surface inspection.

This report details the Phase I archaeological survey, providing the methodology, results, and management recommendations. The environmental and cultural context of the APE and surrounding area is provided in Chapter II, while the methodology used for this survey is contained in Chapter III. The results and summary of the survey are presented in Chapter IV, and cited references are provided in Chapter V.