Bus Base North Historic and Archaeological Resources Report
June 2020 Bus Base North
Consultant Quality Control Form
Originator/ Notes, as Version Title Date Drafted by Reviewed by Approved by required 0 08.06 Bus Base 9/11/2019 Chris Larissa King Chris Wellander Initial Issue North Historic Lockwood Rawlins and Ph.D. and Ed Reynolds Archaeological Chanda R. (tech edit) Resources Schneider Sandi Wise Report – Draft (QC Review) 1 08.06 Bus Base 11/22/2019 Chris Ed Reynolds Larissa King Revisions North Historic Lockwood (tech edit) Rawlins per Sound and Ph.D. and Sandi Wise Transit Archaeological Chanda R. (QC Review) comments Resources Schneider Report – Second Draft 2 08.06 Bus Base 6/18/2020 Chris Ed Reynolds Larissa King Final North Historic Lockwood (tech edit) Rawlins version and Ph.D. and Sandi Wise Archaeological Chanda R. (QC Review) Resources Schneider Report
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Summary
As part of the environmental review process this report assesses known and potential cultural (historic and archaeological) resources at the proposed Bus Base North (BBN) parcel.
The BBN parcel remained relatively undeveloped until the late 20th century. There are no recorded aboveground historic-aged buildings or structures, archaeological sites, ethnographic sites, or traditional cultural properties located within or adjacent to the BBN parcel. Native American use of the general area is documented in ethnographic studies and archaeological surveys, but no particular Native American use of the BBN parcel itself has been documented. Results from an archaeological survey and two geotechnical studies completed within the BBN parcel provides evidence of widespread filling and disturbance, but no evidence that archaeological sites are present. Therefore, the project is anticipated to result in no impact to archaeological sites. Furthermore, there are no historic register-eligible buildings or structures within or adjacent to the BBN parcel. Therefore, the project is anticipated to result in no impact to historic properties.
The project should proceed under the terms of an Archaeological Resources Inadvertent Discovery Plan (IDP), which will set forth the procedures and protocols to be followed in the event that archaeological resources are inadvertently discovered during construction. Construction personnel should receive a cultural resources orientation with specific discussion of the requirements of the IDP prior to beginning ground-disturbing work.
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Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1 Overview ...... 1 1.2 Purpose of technical memorandum ...... 2 1.3 Bus Base North ...... 2 1.4 Area of Impacts ...... 2 1.5 Study Area ...... 5 1.6 Regulatory context ...... 5 1.6.1 Federal ...... 5 1.6.2 State ...... 5 1.6.3 Local ...... 5
2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ...... 6 2.1 On-site facilities ...... 6 2.1.1 Maintenance and operations building ...... 6 2.1.2 Bus storage and elevated parking deck ...... 6 2.1.3 Security guard house ...... 9 2.1.4 Fuel and wash buildings ...... 9 2.2 Utilities and connections ...... 9 2.3 Site work ...... 10
3 METHODOLOGY ...... 11
4 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ...... 11
5 CULTURAL SETTING ...... 14 5.1 Precontact ...... 14 5.2 Ethnographic ...... 14 5.3 Historic ...... 15 5.4 Existing cultural resources ...... 16 5.5 Built environment ...... 17 5.6 Previous subsurface investigation of the Bus Base North parcel ...... 17
6 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ...... 19
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7 MITIGATION ...... 19 7.1 Construction impacts ...... 19 7.2 Long-term impacts ...... 19
8 REFERENCES ...... 20
Figures
Figure 1-1 Bus Base North vicinity map ...... 1
Figure 1-2 Bus Base North Area of Impacts ...... 3
Figure 1-3 Bus Base North Area of Impacts ...... 4
Figure 2-1 Bus Base North – Ground-level site plan ...... 7
Figure 2-2 Bus Base North – Second-level site plan ...... 8
Figure 4-1 Geologic map ...... 12
Figure 4-2 Soils map ...... 13
Figure 5-1 Shovel probe locations, ESA January 2019 (Lockwood et al. 2019) ...... 18
Tables
Table 5-1 Precontact periods ...... 14
Table 5-2 Cultural resource assessments conducted within the Study Area ...... 17
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Acronyms and Abbreviations
APE Area of Potential Effects BBN Bus Base North BMC Bothell Municipal Code BRT bus rapid transit bs below surface cal BP Calibrated Years Before Present CFR Code of Federal Regulations DAHP Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation NRHP National Register of Historic Places Project Bus Base North RCW Revised Code of Washington SEPA State Environmental Policy Act SPM Statewide Predictive Model ST3 Sound Transit 3 Plan USACE United States Army Corps of Engineers WISAARD Washington Information System for Architectural and Archaeological Records Data
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1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Overview
As was identified in the Sound Transit 3 (ST3) System Plan (Sound Transit 2016), Sound Transit is planning for a new bus operations and maintenance facility (Bus Base North [BBN]) located near the Interstate I-405/State Route (SR) 522 corridors to service vehicles operating on the I-405 and SR 522/NE 145th Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines and ST Express buses. The site identified for development of the BBN project is in the Canyon Park subarea of Bothell along 20th Avenue SE, as shown in Figure 1-1, Figure 1-2, and Figure 1-3.
Figure 1-1 Bus Base North vicinity map
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The BBN project would provide support for up to 80 articulated (60 feet in length) and 40 double- decker or standard transit coaches (40 feet in length). The fleet would primarily be diesel/electric hybrid buses, but approximately 10 of the buses would operate with battery-electric propulsion when the project opens. The facility would be configured to allow for the future potential conversion of the bus fleet to battery-electric buses if Sound Transit determines that to be an appropriate vehicle technology. The BBN project would include construction of the following:
• A maintenance and operations building
• Storage/parking for the 120 buses at ground level
• An aboveground, second-story parking deck to be provided for all employee and visitor parking, which would also provide cover for the bus parking area below
• A security guard house at the bus entrance gate to ensure that all vehicles entering the bus traffic areas have authorization to enter
• A bus wash building to accommodate a fully enclosed, two-bay, drive-through bus wash operation
• A fueling facility, including a support systems building and canopy-covered fueling lanes
• Stormwater facilities as needed to address regulatory and design requirements
• Utility and street connections
Sound Transit is expected to select a design/build contractor for the project in 2021. Following selection, the design/build contractor would develop the detailed construction documents for the project and permit applications would be submitted to the City of Bothell and other permitting agencies. Construction is anticipated to start in 2021 and to be completed in 2023 prior to the start of BRT services in 2024.
1.2 Purpose of technical memorandum The purpose of this historic and archaeological resources report is to support the project’s environmental review phase by identifying known and potential cultural resources within and near the BBN parcel. Work for this report was limited to a literature review, including a previous archaeological survey conducted in January 2019 for a different project on the BBN parcel (Lockwood et al. 2019).
1.3 Bus Base North The proposed BBN project is on a 12.5-acre parcel in the City of Bothell, Snohomish County, Washington. The Snohomish County tax assessor parcel number is 27052900200800). The parcel is located in Township 27 North, Range 05 East, Section 29 of the Bothell, WA 7.5’ series topographic map (Figure 1-2).
1.4 Area of Impacts The Area of Impacts (AI) includes the BBN parcel plus the extent of all immediately adjacent parcels (Figure 1-2 and Figure 1-3). The AI is the geographic area across which the project has the potential to impact historic and archaeological resources.
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Figure 1-2 Bus Base North Area of Impacts
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Figure 1-3 Bus Base North Area of Impacts
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1.5 Study Area
For historic and archaeological resources, the Study Area includes the BBN parcel and a 0.25- mile radius in all directions, in accordance with Sound Transit methodology.
1.6 Regulatory context
1.6.1 Federal
It is anticipated that the project would result in filling a total of 0.08 acre within two wetlands, which would require a Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Federal permitting will require the project to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106). Section 106 requires that the USACE as lead federal agency, in cooperation with Sound Transit, consider the effects of the undertaking upon historic properties within the project’s Area of Potential Effects (APE). Federal code implementing Section 106, found at 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 800, includes a requirement that an effort be made to identify historic properties. The USACE will define the APE in coordination with the DAHP, affected Tribes, and other stakeholders.
1.6.2 State
The project is subject to compliance with the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). SEPA requires that all major actions sponsored, funded, permitted, or approved by state and/or local agencies consider the impacts of the planned action on the environment, which includes properties of historical, archaeological, scientific, or cultural importance (Washington Administrative Code 197-11-960). Additional laws that apply to archaeological projects conducted within the state of Washington include Archaeological Sites and Resources (Revised Code of Washington [RCW] 27. 53), Indian Graves and Records (RCW 27. 44), Human Remains (RCW 68. 50), and Abandoned and Historic Cemeteries and Historic Graves (RCW 68. 60). Districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects at least 50 years old at the time of project construction maybe eligible for listing in the Washington State Heritage Register (WHR). The WHR is an official listing of historically significant sites and properties maintained by DAHP.
1.6.3 Local
This project is also subject to compliance with county and city historic register designation and resource preservation regulations including Snohomish County Historic and Archaeological Resources (Chapter 30.32D) and City of Bothell Archaeological and Historic Resources (BMC 13.09.010) and City of Bothell Historic Preservation (BMC 22.08).
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2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The BBN facility is a bus operations and maintenance facility on a 12.5-acre site, programmed and sized to maintain, service (including fuel and wash), and store up to 120 buses. These buses include the fleet that would operate on the proposed I-405 and SR 522/NE 145th BRT lines, as well as ST Express buses from existing lines of bus service. The site plan and layout of the facility are based on a conceptual level of design. These site plans are shown in Figure 2-1 and Figure 2-2.
2.1 On-site facilities
The following provides a description of the proposed facilities on-site that would result in ground-disturbing activities that could affect archaeological resources or new features that could affect historic resources in the Study Area.
2.1.1 Maintenance and operations building
As shown in the conceptual site plans, the maintenance and operations building would be the primary structure on-site with a total building footprint of approximately 58,000 square feet. The maintenance and operations building would include two levels. The first floor is anticipated to include approximately 57,000 square feet of floor area, and the second floor is anticipated to include approximately 19,000 square feet of floor area, for a total floor area of approximately 76,000 square feet. The ground level is expected to house shop and maintenance bay functions and maintenance offices, while the operations offices, dispatch areas, driver areas, and administrative functions would be located on the second floor. The building would also include an enclosed paint booth (for vehicle touch ups, damage repairs, and full coach repainting) designed in accordance with regulatory requirements.
2.1.2 Bus storage and elevated parking deck
Storage/parking for the 120 buses would occur on the ground level in the eastern portion of the site, set back from 20th Avenue SE. Access to the bus parking area would be from a bus-only entrance/exit driveway from 20th Avenue SE along the southern property boundary. The bus parking area includes space for the electrical charging infrastructure that would be needed for the potential future conversion to a battery-electric bus fleet.
Above the ground-level bus parking area, a second-story parking deck with approximately 250 parking stalls and approximately 105,000 square feet in area, would be provided for employee and visitor parking and non-revenue vehicles (vehicles used by staff for service and other non- customer transportation uses). This parking deck would cover the bus parking area and would provide weather protection for the parked buses, an overhead structure to attach lighting for the bus parking area, and a structure to attach potential future overhead electric charging equipment. Automobile access to the parking deck would be from a second driveway from 20th Avenue SE, just north of the bus entrance/exist driveway, to a dedicated drive and ramp. The parking deck would likely include an elevated pedestrian walkway directly into the second floor of the maintenance and operations building and would also include an elevator and egress stairs, as required by code, to provide pedestrian access to the ground-level bus parking area below.
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Figure 2-1 Bus Base North – Ground-level site plan
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Figure 2-2 Bus Base North – Second-level site plan
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2.1.3 Security guard house
An approximately 100-square-foot security building would be located at the bus entrance/exit driveway to monitor access and help control the ingress and egress of buses at the site. Entrance and exit gates would be located on each side (to the north and south) of the security building. Two security guard parking spaces would be provided just northeast of the security building.
2.1.4 Fuel and wash buildings
A bus wash building, approximately 4,500 square feet in size, would accommodate a fully enclosed, two-bay, drive-through bus wash operation.
A fueling facility would be provided, including an approximately 1,000-square-foot support systems building and an approximately 3,000-square-foot canopy over two fueling lanes. The support systems building would include lube tanks for fluids used at the fuel island, an air compressor to run the pumps and equipment at the fuel island, vacuum equipment used to clean the buses during servicing, computerized equipment for the fuel/fluid management systems, a custodial room, and staff restrooms. An area for aboveground fuel tanks would be sited to the north of the fueling facility building. The fuel tanks are proposed to be aboveground and double-walled for easier observation and maintenance purposes as well as for easier removal should the fleet be converted to an alternative fuel source in the future.
2.2 Utilities and connections
The site would be equipped with an oil/water separator that would be connected to all sanitary sewer elements serving vehicle maintenance areas and where otherwise required by the Washington State Department of Ecology’s (Ecology) Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington (Ecology 2019) and the Alderwood Water & Wastewater District. This would include floor and trench drains in maintenance areas as well as the chassis wash areas. The bus washer system would be connected to a water reclaim system to reduce the water supply required for that function. Water and sanitary services would be tied to the Alderwood Water & Wastewater District services located along 20th Avenue SE.
Stormwater would be collected underground and detention would be provided in an on-site underground vault. Low-impact development practices, consistent with Ecology’s Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington (Ecology 2019), would be accommodated as space and site conditions allow. Stormwater would ultimately tie into the City of Bothell system via the adjacent ditches.
Communications and natural gas services for the site would be tied into utilities currently available in 20th Avenue SE. Electrical service would be coordinated with the local electrical service provider—the Snohomish County Public Utility District—who would extend service to the site, most likely along the southern portion of the property. While the use of battery-electric buses is being considered for the future, it is not currently planned for the initial construction at this facility. To accommodate battery-electric buses on-site it is anticipated that the area initially used to accommodate the aboveground fuel tanks (shown in Figure 2-1) would be removed and that area would be used for a small substation and battery area to provide the on-site power
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generation and storage needed to charge the bus batteries. It is anticipated that this area would be fenced for safety purposes.
Two site driveways/entrances would be provided from 20th Avenue SE to separate the bus and personal vehicle traffic. The primary fire department access would be through the bus entrance driveway. A secondary fire access would be provided through the employee parking entrance with an access point prior to the ramp up to the employee parking deck, as shown in Figure 2-1 To allow turns into and out of the facility from both driveways, the raised median that separates the northbound and southbound lanes of 20th Avenue SE would be modified, including providing a break in the median for the employee entrance and shortening the median on the south end to allow buses to exit the facility. Required sidewalks would be provided along the site street frontage.
2.3 Site work
Prior to construction, the site would be cleared and grubbed to remove existing vegetation not intended to be protected (i.e., outside of wetland areas that would not be filled and the stream buffer area shown on Figure 2-1 as being fenced). The site would also be graded as needed to properly support the development and provide adequate drainage for the site.
Reinforced concrete paving would be used for all driveways and bus and large maintenance vehicle parking areas. Limited areas of asphalt paving could be provided in areas trafficked by personal vehicles. Depending upon existing soil conditions, paving may be installed over a treated subbase, such as lime or cement stabilized soil.
The site would be equipped with lighting as required to support the 24-hour-per-day operations and as needed for security. Landscaping would be provided in designated areas and in accordance with local ordinances. Vegetation would be low maintenance and provided with irrigation. The entire yard area would be secured by fencing with control gates at access and egress points. While fencing materials could vary around the site, all fencing would be affixed at the base via concrete. Gates and access points would be equipped with a key card system, provided with intrusion detection, and would also comply with Bothell’s requirements for fire and life safety access. Closed-circuit television cameras are anticipated to be used on the site.
Landscaping would be provided on the perimeter of the site in designated areas and in accordance with local ordinances. Existing trees would be preserved around the perimeter of the site where possible, and vegetation/landscaping would be provided in accordance with Sound Transit’s design standards, and would be low maintenance and provided with irrigation where needed.
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3 METHODOLOGY
The following types of documents were reviewed to identify cultural resources within the Study Area:
• Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation’s (DAHP) Statewide Predictive Model and Washington Information System for Architectural and Archaeological Records Data (WISAARD)
• City of Bothell Historic Register Properties list
• Snohomish County Historic Property Inventory map and Historic Preservation Commission
• Historical maps, aerial photographs, published ethnographies, local histories, geological and soils maps, and environmental studies
These sources were also reviewed to identify historic-age properties or districts listed in the City of Bothell Historic Register, Snohomish County Register of Historic Places and Properties, WHR and/or the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), or that have been determined eligible by DAHP for listing in the NRHP or determined eligible for listing in local registers by the respective agency. To be eligible for listing in one of these registers the buildings, site, structure, or object must be at least 50 years old at the time of BBN project construction. The age threshold set by Snohomish County is 40 years in cases of exceptional significance as determined by the commission. For this project, construction is expected to begin in 2021 with an estimated three- to four-year construction period. This would make any building or structure built before 1971 potentially eligible for listing based on age alone.
4 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
The BBN parcel is underlain by Vashon-aged continental glacial outwash (Qgo on Figure 4-1), which was deposited between approximately 17,400 and 16,400 years ago (Troost and Booth 2008). Soils underlying the BBN parcel consist of Everett gravelly sandy loam (Map unit 17 on Figure 4-2) and Mukilteo muck (Map unit 34 on Figure 4-2) (Natural Resources Conservation Service 2019). Everett soils form in glacial parent material on glacial drift plains. Mukilteo muck forms in organic parent material in depressional areas on glacial uplands, glacial drift plains, and river valleys. Based on the glacial plain landform underlying the BBN parcel it is not expected to have experienced substantial mineral deposition since the end of the last Ice Age.
The BBN parcel was historically classified under the Tsuga heterophylla vegetation zone, which encompasses most of Western Washington (Franklin and Dyrness 1988). Native species characteristic of this environment include a variety of ferns, Oregon grape, ocean spray, salal, trailing blackberry, red huckleberry, western red cedar, Douglas fir, and western hemlock. Maples, alders, and Himalayan blackberries encroach and flourished where the natural landscape has been disturbed. Native fauna within this region include deer, quail, grouse, weasel, and muskrat. Historic aerial photos show the BBN parcel as forested, undeveloped, and rural until 1980.
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Figure 4-1 Geologic map
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Figure 4-2 Soils map
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5 CULTURAL SETTING
5.1 Precontact
The precontact cultural chronology of the Pacific Northwest and Puget Sound from the Late Pleistocene onward has been previously summarized (Ames and Maschner 1999; Blukis Onat et al. 2001; Kidd 1964; Kopperl et al. 2016; Matson and Coupland 1995; Nelson 1990). The various chronologies generally agree on broad patterns in culture but may differ regarding the timing and significance of changes in specific aspects of culture, such as subsistence, technology, and social organization. The following discussion of cultural-historical sequence draws broadly on the various chronologies but follows Kopperl et al (2016) and Ames and Maschner (1999) by recognizing five periods, which are summarized in Table 5-1. The Late Pacific period overlaps slightly with the Ethnographic period, as discussed below.
Table 5-1 Precontact periods
Approximate Period Date Range Characteristics Late Pacific 2500 cal BP – Represented by seasonal camps associated with resource 200 cal BP procurement and increased variability in burial methods Middle Pacific 5,000 cal BP – Represented by large plank houses, increase in decorative items, 2500 cal BP woodworking tools (adzes, mauls, wedges) Early Pacific 8,000 cal BP – Located in marine and estuary settings; represented by large shell 5,000 cal BP middens and decorative artifacts such as labrets and bracelets Archaic 12,000 cal BP – Often referred to as Olcott culture and located in riverine and lake 8,000 cal BP settings; represented by cobble tools and lanceolate projectile points Paleoindian 14,000 cal BP – Often referred to as Clovis culture and located in the uplands; 12,000 cal BP represented by projectile points SOURCES: ESA, 2019 NOTES: cal BP = calibrated Before Present (1950)
No recorded Native American place names are specifically associated with the BBN parcel. However, North Creek, located just to the west, was known as Ctcel, (Hilbert et al. 2001:112). Ethnographic studies and archaeological evidence clearly demonstrate the intensive Native American use of waterways and shorelines within Puget Sound. However, there are no recorded archaeological sites within the Study Area.
5.2 Ethnographic
The project is located within the traditional territory of the federally recognized Suquamish, Snoqualmie, and non-federally recognized Snohomish Tribes. These groups are recognized as part of the larger Southern Coast Salish cultural group (Haeberlin and Gunther 1930:9; Spier 1936:42; Suttles and Lane 1990). The Snohomish traditionally lived from Whidbey Island to the west and up the Snohomish River as far as Monroe to the east. Main Suquamish villages were located along Hood Canal and Kitsap Peninsula; however, the Suquamish also traveled east to
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fish at the mouth of the Snohomish River (Lane 1974:15). The Snoqualmie traditionally lived above Snoqualmie Falls, along Lake Sammamish, and the Sammamish River. The Snohomish spoke a Northern Lushootseed dialect while the Suquamish and Snoqualmie spoke a Southern Lushootseed dialect (Suttles and Lane 1990:486).
Southern Coast Salish relied heavily upon salmon for subsistence, supplementing this diet with other resources found in marsh and river environments. Nearby rivers, lakes, and forests would have provided hunting opportunities for beaver, waterfowl, deer, elk, bear, and other animals as needed. Local hunting and fishing were practiced during the lean winter months, while the group shared supplies of preserved food, including smoked fish, shellfish, and dried berries. Smaller groups moved seasonally during the warmer months and occupied temporary camps, providing a broad subsistence base that included shellfish, marine and freshwater fish, land game, waterfowl, sprouts, roots and bulbs, berries, and nuts (Suttles and Lane 1990). Food resources acquired during the spring, summer, and fall were used for winter supplies and trade as well as immediate consumption. In addition, a wide variety of plant resources were exploited for medicinal and other uses. Western red cedar was used for making rope, baskets, and numerous household items; tules and cattails were collected near streams and marshes and used for making mats (Suttles and Lane 1990:490).
Permanent villages, where communities aggregated at the close of the growing season, usually consisted of several houses typically constructed of cedar planks. The predominant burial practice was canoe/tree burials whereby the deceased would be placed in a canoe and the canoe placed in a tree or on a frame (Haeberlin and Gunther 1930:53; Suttles and Lane 1990:496). Often, as the canoe decayed and collapsed, the human remains would come to rest on the ground below.
Euroamerican settlement of the Snohomish River Valley area began during the 1850s. With the passage of the 1850 Donation Land Act of Oregon, settlers began to claim homestead lands throughout the Washington Territory. The traditional mobile subsistence strategies of Native Americans were increasingly disrupted as non-Native American settlement progressed. Settlements and land claims were focused around key routes of access, such as waterways, and areas rich in resources.
Increasing impacts on native hunter-fisher-gatherers in Puget Sound are documented by the treaties that were signed and the reservations that were established. Some members of the Snohomish were relocated to the Tulalip Reservation after the Point Elliott Treaty was signed near present-day Mukilteo in 1855 (Ruby and Brown 1992:216). The Tulalip Reservation also was intended for the Skykomish, the Snoqualmie, and the Stillaguamish. Others were removed to Fox Island, Whidbey Island, and Port Gamble on the Kitsap Peninsula (Ruby and Brown 1992:213). Although a recognized signatory of the Point Elliott Treaty, the Snohomish are still pursuing federal recognition. Today many Snohomish and Snoqualmie still live within their ancestral lands. The Suquamish were also signatories of the Point Elliott Treaty, which established the Port Madison Reservation for the intended occupation by the Suquamish and Duwamish (Lane 1974:10-11).
5.3 Historic
The BBN parcel is located within Bothell, north of the present day downtown area. The BBN parcel remained relatively isolated during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. When first surveyed in 1874, two tributaries of North Creek were recorded in the BBN parcel. However, there is no
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evidence of homesteads, trails, or other past use of the BBN parcel during this time (US Geological Survey 1895; US Surveyor General 1874). A land patent for the BBN parcel was issued to Michael M. Fitzgerald on February 7, 1889. By 1910, August Shultz was listed as the owner and, in 1927, Charles E. Peabody was listed as the owner (League of Snohomish County Heritage Organizations, 2019; Metsker Map Company 1927; Kroll Map Company 1934). A 1960s map shows Eugene R. Wockner as owner of the BBN parcel (Metsker Map Company 1960).
Thrashers Corner, a major intersection established in the early 20th century, is just north of the BBN parcel. Thrashers Corner is the intersection of Maltby Road/208th Street SE and Bothell- Everett Highway. It was named for the Thrasher family who settled in the area in 1928 (Kennard 1992). The family ran a service station, repair garage, and towing operation. Freda and Lyman Thrasher lived with their children at the southwest corner of the intersection in a house located behind the garage. In 1937 the family purchased the land across the street in the southeast corner of the intersection and moved their business and residence east across the Bothell- Everett Highway. They remained in this location until the 1950s (Kennard 1992).
The Bothell-Everett Highway was originally a ca. 1895 wagon road with several homesteads adjacent to it (U.S. Geological Survey 1895). It was eventually established as a State Road in 1937 as part of Secondary State Highway (SSH) 2A, which extended from Renton to Everett. The Bothell-to-Everett segment of SSH 2A became a part of SSH2J in 1957. The current State Route (SR) 527 designation occurred in 1970 (DAHP 2014).
Historic aerial photos show the BBN parcel as forested, undeveloped, and rural until 1980. Logging in the North Creek Valley eventually gave way to agricultural efforts. By the 1970s and 1980s, farming was waning as demand increased for commercial and residential development. By 1990, the parcel had been cleared of vegetation and roads were in place to the west (20th Avenue SE) and north. During the early 21st century, a private drive had been constructed through the northern portion of the parcel and three structures in the northeast portion of the parcel were built; these three structures were removed by 2006 (Historic Aerials 2019; U.S. Geological Survey 1895, 1953, 1968, 1973, 1981).
5.4 Existing cultural resources
Six previous cultural resources assessments have been conducted within the Study Area (Table 5-2). Of those, one archaeological survey (Lockwood et al. 2019) and one historic resources inventory (Knapp 1995) included the BBN parcel.
No archaeological sites, cemeteries, or traditional cultural places are recorded within the Study Area (DAHP 2019). The Statewide Predictive Model (SPM) for encountering precontact-era sites classifies the project area as High to Very High Risk – Survey Highly Advised (DAHP 2010). The SPM is a multivariate model that uses several landscape factors (e.g., proximity to water, elevation, slope) to predict landscape-level archaeological sensitivity. The High to Very High Risk classification is likely largely attributable to the proximity of the project site to North Creek, as well as its low elevation and generally flat landform. Additionally, the SPM typically does not factor in landscape impacts from development and urbanization. Past development of the project site is likely to have disturbed any cultural resources that might once have been present.
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Table 5-2 Cultural resource assessments conducted within the Study Area
Approximate distance and direction from BBN parcel Title Citation Within Canyon Park Tract 24 Project Cultural Resources Survey Lockwood et al. 2019 Within Historic Resources Inventory City of Bothell Knapp 1995 Adjacent North Creek Interceptor Sewer Improvements Project Wilson et al. 2013 Adjacent Cultural Resources Report, North Creek Interceptor and Tingwall et al. 2008 Olympus Meadows Trunk Sewer Improvements Project 0.20 mile W North Creek Trail (Section 3) Cultural Resources Assessment Wilson et al. 2011 0.25 mile NE Cultural Resources Assessment for the W1102 East Side Water Rinck and Piper 2014 Pressure Reduction Project SOURCE: WISAARD, 2019
5.5 Built environment
There are no historic-aged buildings or structures within or adjacent to the BBN parcel that are listed in or eligible for listing in a national, state, or local preservation register (DAHP 2019; Snohomish County Assessor’s Office 2019). There are no buildings or structures within the BBN parcel itself. The oldest building adjacent to the BBN parcel was built in 1988, and is therefore not eligible for listing in any preservation register based on its age. Because the project is anticipated to begin in 2021, any built environment resources would need to have been built in or before 1971 to be considered historic-age (50 years or older) to meet the minimum age threshold for consideration of eligibility to the NRHP.
5.6 Previous subsurface investigation of the Bus Base North parcel
As discussed above, in January 2019 an archaeological survey of the BBN parcel was conducted for a proposed residential development (Lockwood et al. 2019). The following is a summary of methodology and findings of that survey.
Fieldwork included a pedestrian surface survey and a subsurface survey. The pedestrian survey consisted of multiple walking transects, spaced 20 meters apart, oriented east/west across the property. The subsurface survey consisted of eight shovel probes distributed across the parcel (Figure 5-1). The purpose of the subsurface survey was twofold:
• Assess the presence/absence of archaeological resources
• Verify the depth and extent of previously documented grading and filling of the parcel that occurred in the 1980s (Snohomish County Planning Division 1983).
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Figure 5-1 Shovel probe locations, ESA January 2019 (Lockwood et al. 2019)
Three shovel probes (Probes 1-3) were placed along the northern edge of the parcel; three (Probes 4-6) were placed along the southern edge; and two (Probes 7 and 8) were placed near the center. Shovel probes were excavated to a target depth of 1 meter (3.3 feet) below surface (bs), with an average diameter of 40 centimeters (cm). Shovel probe spoils were screened through ¼-inch mesh.
No archaeological sites or isolates were recorded during archaeological survey work, and no intact historic or precontact occupation surfaces were observed. Shovel probe excavation indicated widespread imported fill and disturbed native soil extending across the parcel; the fill/disturbed native deposits generally directly overlie glacial-aged deposits. In the northern portion of the parcel, grading and filling appears to have extended all the way into glacial parent material; the truncated top of glacial material appears between 62 and 85 cm bs in this area. Because the glacial materials were deposited prior to the earliest currently accepted evidence for people in Western Washington, glacial deposits are unlikely to contain evidence for past cultural activity. Fill and/or disturbed/regraded native deposits are present in the center and southern portion of the parcel, between the surface and at least 90 cm bs. Intact native soil potentially resulting from Holocene deposition within an upland glacial depression was only encountered in Probe 6 (Figure 5-1) near the southwest corner of the parcel. These results are generally consistent with a series of 15 geotechnical test pits completed by Earth Solutions NW, LLC in 2018, which showed a limited distribution of peat (or muck) centered primarily toward the southwest corner of the parcel (Earth Solutions NW 2018); this is the location of a wetland. The remainder of the parcel appeared underlain almost exclusively by sediments consistent with glacial outwash.
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Further subsurface information was collected specifically for the BBN project by Shannon & Wilson, which drilled 10 hollow-stem augers and 2 mud rotary geotechnical borings, and excavated 12 test pits (Shannon & Wilson 2019). Shannon & Wilson’s subsurface results were generally consistent with observations made previously by both ESA and Earth Solutions NW. In particular, data from test pits—which represent the greatest exposure of strata— demonstrated the presence of approximately 5 feet of gravelly to cobbly material mixed with varying amounts of demolition debris overlying glacial sand and gravel deposits across much of the parcel, except toward the southwest corner of the parcel. Test pitting in the southwest corner revealed fill with demolition debris down to a depth of at least 2 feet bs, with evidence for a deeply buried peaty/organic soil extending to a depth in excess of 10 feet bs.
6 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
The anticipated depth of project construction ground disturbance ranges from less than 1 foot for sidewalks to 20 feet for traffic signals. Construction activities such as utility trenching and roadway paving are anticipated to have a range of excavation not exceeding 4 feet bs; this depth is less than the generally observed presence of fill/disturbed native soils to a depth of 5 feet bs. Deeper construction activities such as for structures, stormwater, sanitary sewer, retaining walls, and utility/light/traffic poles would extend deeper than fill and, in cases, would be expected to be placed in locations where fill/disturbed native soils directly overlie glacial deposits.
All ground disturbance has the potential to impact archaeological resources, if present. The DAHP SPM classifies the BBN parcel as “Very High” risk for precontact-era archaeological resources. An archaeological survey is “highly advised” by DAHP for very high risk areas. Although performed for a different proposed undertaking, the archaeological survey completed in 2019 (Lockwood et al. 2019) along with two geotechnical studies (Earth Solutions NW 2018; Shannon & Wilson 2019) provides evidence of widespread filling and disturbance across the BBN parcel, but no evidence that archaeological sites are present. Therefore, the project is anticipated to result in no impact to archaeological sites.
Furthermore, there are no historic register-eligible buildings or structures within or adjacent to the BBN parcel. Therefore, the project is anticipated to result in no impact to historic properties.
7 MITIGATION
7.1 Construction impacts
• Construction will proceed under the terms of an Archaeological Resources Inadvertent Discovery Plan (IDP), which will set forth the procedures and protocols to be followed in the event that archaeological resources are inadvertently discovered during construction.
• Construction personnel should receive cultural resources orientation with specific discussion of the requirements of the IDP prior to beginning ground-disturbing work.
7.2 Long-term impacts
No mitigation measures for long-term impacts are needed.
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8 REFERENCES
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