Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Encore Parkway Streetscape and Big Creek Greenway Extension, Fulton County, Georgia

In December 2010, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted an archaeological survey for the proposed Encore Parkway Streetscape and Big Creek Greenway Extension project area in Fulton County, Georgia. The Georgia Department of Transportation's (GDOT) project involves widening Encore Parkway from Westside Parkway to North Point Parkway to better facilitate entrance to the high density residential centers on the west side of State Route 400 (SR) and the North Point Mall commercial area on the east side of SR 400. Streetscape improvements, including pedestrian sidewalks, would be constructed along Encore Parkway and North Point Parkway to provide a safe connectivity to the Big Creek Greenway multi-use trail system. The proposed project would include bicycle and pedestrian improvements, the reconstruction of the Encore Parkway bridge over SR 400, roadway widening and turn lane improvements, signal upgrades and signal timing, connectivity to existing multi-use trails, and landscaping improvements to match the North Fulton Community Improvement District (NFCID) overlay standards. The new widening section, from Westside Parkway to North Point Parkway, would include two 14-foot travel lanes, two 6-foot bike lanes, and a raised median that would vary from 8 to 30 feet and include left-tum lanes. The proposed shoulders from Westside Parkway to North Point Parkway would be widened to 18 feet and would include a 6-foot buffer planter strip and an 8-foot sidewalk. Although traffic analysis shows that design year traffic would require four through-lanes on Encore Parkway, this enhancement project is not intended to increase the number of lanes. Provisions would be provided in the form of a wider median to allow widening in the future without having to reconstruct the enhancement elements. Also, an 8-foot sidewalk would be constructed along the east side of North Point Parkway and shared lanes would be used on North Point Parkway to connect the new Encore Parkway sidewalks and bike lanes to the existing Big Creek Greenway trail and parking area. The existing Encore Parkway bridge over SR 400 would be replaced and upgraded to accommodate future SR 400 widening. The project would provide signal upgrades and signal timing and would also include installing streetscape features such as street trees and landscaping, street and pedestrian lighting, and street furniture on both the roadway and bridge sections. Existing right-of-way (ROW) varies from 100 to 140 feet. Proposed ROW varies from 53 to 74 feet from the existing centerline. The total length of the project is 0.7 mile. The project area for the archaeological survey includes the Area of Potential Effect (APE), which is limited to the existing and proposed ROW and permanent easements, and a 1 00-foot buffer beyond the construction limits or APE as dictated by GDOT's Environmental Procedures Manual. EPEI conducted background research and surveyed the entire project area through visual inspection and shovel testing. A check of the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF) at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia was conducted for the current project. A total of five previously recorded archaeological sites are located within a !-kilometer radius of the current project corridor. There were no previously recorded sites located within the current project limits. The information listed for the previously recorded sites will be discussed in the background section of the results chapter. During the course of EPEI's investigation, one archaeological site, 9FU569, was identified. Site 9FU569 consists of the remains of a historic structure and associated residential artifact scatter. A total of four artifacts were recovered from one shovel test, and include glass fragments, a wire nail, and one ironstone china sherd. No conclusively diagnostic materials were found. Soils at the site are not well developed and a typical shovel test consisted of 0-15 centimeters of reddish brown clay loam underlain by reddish clay subsoil. Due to the limits of the project corridor, the boundaries of the site were not completely defined, making the overall National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility of the site under Criterion D unknown. Due to the low density and non-diagnostic nature of 9FU569's artifact scatter and the apparent deflated and/or disturbed nature of the landscape supporting the site, the portion examined by EPEI does not contribute to its NRHP eligibility. Clearance for construction is recommended for this project as currently designed.