Phase I Cultural Resources Survey of the Riverside West 38.7-acre Development Tracts

In November 2017, Brockington and Associates, Inc. (Brockington) was contracted by Riverside DC Investors, LLC (Riverside DC) to conduct a Phase I Cultural Resources Survey (CRS) of three small tracts totaling 38.7 acres, located in Douglas County, Georgia. Riverside DC proposes to develop the tracts as part of a larger development project located on adjacent tracts near Sweetwater Creek and Summer Lake Road. This CRS was a due diligence effort in anticipation of requirements pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 CFR 320-330), in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 (as amended through 2016), and 36 CFR 800 (Protection of Historic Properties). Brockington conducted this CRS to determine if cultural resources are in or adjacent to the three survey tracts and to evaluate the resources for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility.

The current project includes archival research, archaeological survey, and architectural survey. Background research was conducted using Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources GIS (GNAHRGIS) to locate and review previously identified cultural resources and cultural resource surveys within a 0.5-mile research buffer. The archaeological investigation was conducted using shovel testing and pedestrian survey across the tracts. The architectural survey included a viewshed analysis of all potentially historic buildings or structures within the survey tracts and a 0.25-mile area surrounding the survey tracts.

A review of GNAHRGIS and Brockington’s files revealed that no previously recorded archaeological sites or architectural resources are located in the three survey tracts, and that no cultural resource surveys have been conducted in the three tracts. However, five previously recorded cultural resources surveys have been conducted within or near the adjacent development tracts now owned by Riverside DC. These include a Phase I CRS conducted by Brockington for IDI (Atz and Hutchings 2005), a Phase I CRS conducted by Brockington for Riverside DC (Futch 2017); a Phase I archaeological survey conducted by Brockington for the Georgia Transmission Company (GTC) (Franz 2011), and a Phase I archaeological survey performed by Southeastern Archaeological Services (SAS) for GTC (Braley 2013). In 2001, Brockington performed a Phase I CRS of about 2.2 miles for a proposed transmission line corridor (Hicks and Whitley 2001) and in 2005, an alternate route was surveyed which passed through a portion of the former IDI tract (Whitley 2006).

One previously recorded archaeological site (9DO180) is located within the GTC corridor which passes through Riverside DC property southwest of the current survey areas. In addition, 11 previously recorded sites are located on Riverside DC property that is adjacent to the current survey areas. There are also six previously recorded sites located with 0.5 miles of the current survey areas (see Figure 3.1 and Table 3.1).

The architectural survey identified one resource. Resource 1, the Hytone Park District, is a midtwentieth-century African American residential neighborhood located outside the survey areas but within the 0.25 architectural survey buffer (see Figure 3.2 and Table 3.2). Resource 1 is recommended ineligible for the NRHP.

The archaeological survey identified two sites, 9DO227 and 9DO228 (see Figure 3.2 and Table 3.2). Site 9DO227 is a prehistoric and late nineteenthcentury to early twentieth-century artifact scatter located in Tract 1. Soils were disturbed and deflated, and except for one iron spring fragment recovered during metal detecting, no subsurface artifacts were recovered, and no cultural feature were identified. As a result, site 9DO227 is recommended ineligible for the NRHP. Site 9DO228 is a prehistoric surface artifact scatter located in Tract 2. However, only one of the artifacts was diagnostic: a Late Mississippian Period chert projectile point (Madison). Soils at the site were disturbed and deflated, no subsurface artifacts were recovered, and no cultural features were identified. As a result, site 9DO228 is recommended ineligible for the NRHP.

Due to deflated and disturbed soils caused by past agricultural activity, construction activity, and erosion, Sites 9DO227 and 9DO228 have lost integrity and have little research potential. Therefore, none of the archaeological resources identified during the survey are recommended eligible for the NRHP.

Due to an overall lack of development in the Hytone Park neighborhood, the loss of many of the original houses and non-historic alterations and additions to the remaining houses, Resource 1, the Hytone Park District, has lost architectural integrity. However, the Georgia Historic Preservation Division (HPD) suggests that the Summer Lake and Dam, which is within the Hytone Park District, appears to have retained integrity and that its eligibility is unknown due to lack of information (see Appendix E). Brockington has completed an Assessment of Effects (AOE), included as Appendix D, to provide this additional information. While Summer Lake and Dam are located within 0.25 mile of the project tracts, the resource is not within any of the survey tracts and is not within the project viewshed. While Tract 1 is nearest to the resource, a large densely wooded hill located north of Summer Lake Road creates a visual barrier between the lake and dam and the project tract. The lake and dam are too distant from Tracts 2 and 3 to be in their viewsheds. Therefore, the proposed project would have no adverse effect on the Summer Lake and Dam. Brockington recommends that the entire Hytone Park District, including the Summer Lake and Dam, are not eligible for the NRHP. No additional cultural resource management is recommended for the three survey tracts.