11.3 Cultural/Paleontological Resource Assessment
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CULTURAL RESOURCES STUDY FOR THE AZUSA BUSINESS CENTER PROJECT AZUSA, CALIFORNIA APNs 8617-001-029 and 8900-763-710 Lead Agency: City of Azusa 213 East Foothill Boulevard Azusa, California 91702 Preparer: Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. 14010 Poway Road, Suite A Poway, California 92064 ___________________ Signature Project Proponent: Azusa Todd, LLC 11777 San Vicente Boulevard, Suite 780 Los Angeles, California 90049 August 11, 2017; Revised January 9, 2018 Cultural Resources Study for the Azusa Business Center Project __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Archaeological Database Information Authors: Brian F. Smith and Andrew J. Garrison Consulting Firm: Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. 14010 Poway Road, Suite A Poway, California 92064 (858) 484-0915 Client/Project Proponent: Azusa Todd, LLC 11777 San Vicente Boulevard, Suite 780 Los Angeles, California 90049 Report Date: August 11, 2017; Revised January 9, 2018 Report Title: Cultural Resources Study for the Azusa Business Center Project, Azusa, California (APNs 8617-001-029 and 8900-763-710) Type of Study: Phase I Cultural Resources Survey New Site(s): None Updated Site(s): None USGS Quadrangle: Azusa, California (7.5 minute) Acreage: 23.268 acres Key Words: Archaeological survey; negative; no impacts to cultural resources. i Cultural Resources Study for the Azusa Business Center Project __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents Section Description Page MANAGEMENT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT ........................................................................ iv 1.0 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1.0–1 1.1 Project Description ............................................................................................1.0–1 1.2 Environmental Setting ......................................................................................1.0–1 1.3 Cultural Setting .................................................................................................1.0–6 1.3.1 Prehistoric Period ....................................................................................1.0–6 1.3.2 Historic Period .........................................................................................1.0–11 1.4 Results of the Archaeological Records Search .................................................1.0–13 1.5 Applicable Regulations .....................................................................................1.0–19 1.5.1 California Environmental Quality Act .....................................................1.0–20 1.5.2 City of Azusa Historic Preservation Ordinance ......................................1.0–22 2.0 RESEARCH DESIGN .............................................................................................2.0–1 3.0 FIELD SURVEY .....................................................................................................3.0–1 3.1 Survey Methods ................................................................................................3.0–1 3.2 Results ...............................................................................................................3.0–1 4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS .........................................................................................4.0–1 5.0 LIST OF PREPARERS AND ORGANIZATIONS CONTACTED .......................5.0–1 6.0 REFERENCES CITED ............................................................................................6.0–1 List of Appendices Appendix A – Resumes of Key Personnel Appendix B – Archaeological Records Search Results* Appendix C – NAHC Sacred Lands File Search Results* *Deleted for public review and bound separately in the Confidential Appendix ii Cultural Resources Study for the Azusa Business Center Project __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ List of Figures Figure Description Page Figure 1.1–1 General Location Map ...................................................................................1.0–3 Figure 1.1–2 Project Location Map (USGS) ......................................................................1.0–4 Figure 1.1–3 Project Development Map .............................................................................1.0–5 List of Plates Plate Description Page Plate 3.2–1 Overview of the project are from the southeast corner, facing northwest .......3.0–2 Plate 3.2–2 Overview of the project area from the southern boundary, facing north .........3.0–2 Plate 3.2–3 View inside a steel-framed shade structure, facing east ..................................3.0–3 Plate 3.2–4 Obstructed ground visibility in and around a semi-permanent steel-framed structure ............................................................................................................3.0–3 Plate 3.2–5 Man-made slope located along the northeastern project boundary, looking north .................................................................................................................3.0–4 Plate 3.2–6 Man-made slope located along the southwestern boundary, looking east .......3.0–5 Plate 3.2–7 Overview of the water retention basins from the southwest property corner, looking north ....................................................................................................3.0–5 List of Tables Table Description Page Table 1.4–1 Archaeological Sites Located Within One Mile of the Azusa Business Center Project ..................................................................................................1.0–14 Table 1.4–2 Previous Studies Conducted Within One Mile of the Azusa Business Center Project ..................................................................................................1.0–15 iii Cultural Resources Study for the Azusa Business Center Project __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ MANAGEMENT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT In response to a request from the project applicant, a cultural resources study was conducted by Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. (BFSA) for the proposed Azusa Business Center Project located in the western portion of the city of Azusa, Los Angeles County, California. The 23.268-acre project includes Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APNs) 8617-001-029 and 8900-763- 710, which is currently the location of the Colorama Wholesale Nursery, and historically included the American Cyanamid & Chemical Corporation (ACC) Owl-4X Plant for the manufacturing of cyanogen chloride (tear gas), and former ACC Gypsum Impoundment Area for the disposal of calcium sulfate (gypsum) slurry. The project is located at 1025 North Todd Avenue, bound on the east by North Todd Avenue, on the north by West Sierra Madre Avenue, and on the west by the San Gabriel River. The location is further described as being within the former Rancho Azusa de Dalton Land Grant, Township 1 North, Range 10 West (projected) on the USGS Azusa, California topographic quadrangle. The project proposes to redevelop the existing Colorama Wholesale Nursery property to construct seven large industrial buildings, as well as associated parking, landscaping, and infrastructure improvements. The project’s two site plan options both involve an estimated total building area of 463,436 square feet divided among the seven buildings, with each building ranging in size from 28,576 square feet to 161,231 square feet. Site access would be provided via two stop-controlled driveways at Todd Avenue. The purpose of this investigation was to locate and record any cultural resources present within the project and subsequently evaluate any resources as part of the City of Azusa’s environmental review process conducted in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance criteria (Ord. No. 00-012, § 2, 10-16- 00). The cultural resources investigation included the review of an archaeological records search performed at the South Central Coastal Information Center (SCCIC) at California State University, Fullerton (CSU Fullerton) in order to assess previous archaeological studies and identify any previously recorded archaeological sites within the Area of Potential Effect (APE) or in the immediate vicinity. In addition, a Sacred Lands File (SLF) search was also requested from the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC). A review of the records search provided by the SCCIC indicated that no previously recorded resources are located within the subject property, while eight resources have been recorded within a one-mile radius of the APE. Property research indicates that the property has undergone extensive ground disturbance since first being utilized for industrial purposes around 1918. The SLF search failed to indicate the presence of Native American cultural resources within, or in the vicinity of, the APE. A list of Native American contacts was provided by the NAHC, and in accordance with their recommendations, BFSA contacted all Native American consultants listed to inform the tribes about the nature of the project. During the archaeological field survey, no cultural resources were identified within the APE. The entire property has been graded and developed. Visibility of the natural ground surface iv Cultural Resources Study for the Azusa Business Center Project __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________