Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Tilly Mill Road Improvement Corridor DeKalb County, Georgia

In March 2001, Brockington and Associates, Inc., conducted Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed intersection improvement corridor for Tilly Mill, North Peachtree and Peeler Roads in DeKalb County, Georgia (Project STP-9269 (1); P.I. # 753045; HP#010328-007 ). This survey was conducted for Arcadis Geraghty and Miller, Inc., by personnel qualified under 36 CFR Part 61 (Appendix A) in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and 36 CFR Part 800. DeKalb County proposes to improve intersection spacing along North Peachtree Road. A cul-de-sac will be constructed on Peeler Road, 30 meters (100 ft) west of the existing Peeler Road/North Peachtree Road intersection. In addition, another lane with a 2 meter (6 ft) wide sidewalk will be added to the south side of Tilly Mill Road from North Peachtree to Peeler Road to provide a continuous left-turn lane. Bicycle lanes (1.2 meters [ 4 ft] wide) will also be provided on Tilly Mill Road and North Peachtree Road. The improvement corridor on Peeler Road will extend west from North Peachtree Road approximately 238 meters (781 ft). From the Tilly Mill Road/North Peachtree Road intersection, the corridor extends east 438 meters (1,437 ft) on Tilly Mill Road to Coldstream Road. The corridor extends west from the intersection on Tilly Mill Road approximately 122 meters (400 ft). From the Tilly Mill Road/North Peachtree Road intersection, the corridor also extends south on North Peachtree Road 312 meters (1,024 ft), ending approximately 55 meters (180 ft) south of Brook Run Avenue. In addition, Peeler Road will be realigned and will connect to Brook Run Avenue. The connector will consist of new roadway and will run through the Brook Run County Park property. Existing right-of-way for the project corridor varies from 18 meters (60 ft) to 30 meters (100 ft) and would be maintained throughout most of project. Additional required right-of-way would be necessary at roadway intersections and for the addition of turn lanes. Approximately 3 meters (10 ft) of additional required right-of-way would be necessary along the west side of North Peachtree Road. Additional required right-of-way along the south side of Tilly Mill Road would be approximately 4 meters (12 ft) wide. An amount of additional required right-of-way on the south side of Peeler Road approximately 29 meters (95 ft) wide and 14 meters (45 ft) long would be necessary for the construction of the cul-de-sac. The realignment of Peeler Road would require approximately 15 meters (50 ft) of additional right-of-way along the new section of Peeler Road. The new section will be approximately 145 meters (476 ft) long. Additional required right-of-way would be necessary on the south side of Brook Run Avenue and the west side of North Peachtree Road for mitering corners of the realigned intersections that would vary in width from 8 meters (25 ft) to 11 meters ( 35 ft.) wide. Additional required right-of-way would be necessary on the west side of Peeler Road and the north side of Tilly Mill Road for mitering corners of the realigned intersections that would vary in width from 25 meters (85 ft) to 38 meters (125 ft) wide. The project Area of Potential Effect (APE) for archaeological resources is defined as the total project corridor length on, Tilly Mill, North Peachtree, and Peeler Roads, extending no more than 15 meters (49 ft) on both sides of the road. The APE will also extend down the new corridor for the Peeler Road/Brook Run Avenue connector. These investigations followed procedures defined in the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Plan Development Process, and comply with the requirements of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Historic Preservation Division. Project activities included historical background research, archaeological field survey, and evaluation of all archaeological resources within the project corridor. Historic resources located in or near the project corridor are addressed in a separate report (Reynolds 2001). Background research identified no previously recorded archaeological sites within the project corridor or within a 0.8 km (0.5 mi) radius of the project corridor. The archaeological field survey identified no unrecorded archaeological sites. However, one isolated find (one prehistoric sherd) was discovered in the survey area. Based on results of these investigations, the proposed Tilly Mill Road, North Peachtree Road, and Peeler Road intersection improvements will not affect significant archaeological resources. No additional archaeological investigations are recommended.