Appendix D Cultural Resources Study CULTURAL RESOURCES STUDY FOR THE CENTRAL PARK BUILDOUT PROJECT 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road City of Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, California PREPARED FOR: CITY OF SANTA CLARITA Community Development Department 23920 Valencia Boulevard, Suite 302 Santa Clarita, California 91355 Contact: Patrick Leclair, Senior Planner PREPARED BY: Linda Kry, BA, RA; Adriane Gusick, BA; Kira Archipov, BS; and Micah Hale, Ph.D., RPA DUDEK 38 North Marengo Avenue Pasadena, California 91101 ARPIL 2021 CULTURAL RESOURCES STUDY THE CENTRAL PARK BUILDOUT PROJECT TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................III 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Personnel .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Project Location ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Project Description .............................................................................................................................. 2 2 REGULATORY SETTING ........................................................................................ 7 2.1 State ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 3 PROJECT SETTING ............................................................................................. 13 3.1 Geologic Setting ................................................................................................................................. 13 3.2 Prehistoric Setting .............................................................................................................................. 13 3.3 Ethnographic Overview .................................................................................................................... 24 3.4 Historic Setting ................................................................................................................................... 26 4 BACKGROUND RESEARCH .................................................................................. 31 4.1 CHRIS Records Search...................................................................................................................... 31 4.2 Geotechnical Report Review ............................................................................................................ 34 4.3 Historical Topographic Maps and Aerial Photographs Review .................................................. 35 4.4 Native American Coordination ........................................................................................................ 36 5 CULTURAL RESOURCES SURVEY ........................................................................ 37 5.1 Survey Methods .................................................................................................................................. 37 5.2 Survey Results ..................................................................................................................................... 37 6 FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................ 41 6.1 Summary of Findings ......................................................................................................................... 41 6.2 Management Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 41 7 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................. 43 APPENDICES A CONFIDENTIAL SCCIC Records Search Results B NAHC SLF Results C Geotechnical Testing Locations 13280.02 i DUDEK APRIL 2021 CULTURAL RESOURCES STUDY THE CENTRAL PARK BUILDOUT PROJECT IMAGES 1 Showing Existing Conditions Within Northern Portion of Proposed Sports Fields Area of Project Site. View Facing South. .................................................................................................................... 38 2 Overview of Southern Portion of Proposed Sports Fields Area of Project Site. View Facing Southeast. ............................................................................................................................................... 38 3 Overview of Proposed Parking Lot Portion of Project Site Showing Previous Ground Disturbance in Foreground. View Facing East. .......................................................................................... 39 4 Showing Existing Conditions Within Proposed Dog Park Area of Project Site. View Facing Southwest............................................................................................................................................... 39 TABLES 1 Previously Conducted Cultural Resource Studies Within 0.5 Miles of the Proposed Project Site ...... 31 2 Previously Recorded Cultural Resources Within 0.5-Miles of the Proposed Project Site..................... 34 13280.02 ii DUDEK APRIL 2021 CULTURAL RESOURCES STUDY THE CENTRAL PARK BUILDOUT PROJECT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Dudek was retained by the City of Santa Clarita (City) to conduct a cultural resources study in support of the environmental impact analysis for the proposed Central Park Buildout Project (Project). This Project is subject to compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and thus requires consideration of impacts to cultural resources and tribal cultural resources. This cultural resources study includes background research, a California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS) records search, a search of the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) Sacred Lands File (SLF), an intensive-level pedestrian survey, and management recommendations. Dudek conducted a California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS) records search at the South Central Coastal Information Center (SCCIC) on March 17, 2021. The records search identified 21 previously conducted cultural resources technical investigations within the records search area with three studies that overlapped the proposed Project site. Additionally, the SCCIC records indicate that no previously recorded built environment resources, prehistoric, or historic-era archaeological resources were identified within the proposed Project site. Dudek contacted the NAHC on February 16, 2021 to request a search of the SLF. Results of the SLF (received March 2, 2021) were negative. Because the SLF search does not include an exhaustive list of Native American cultural resources, the NAHC suggesting contacting 16 Native American individuals and/or tribal organizations who may have direct knowledge of cultural resources in or near the proposed Project site. No informal tribal consultation was initiated by Dudek for the proposed Project; however, in compliance with Assembly Bill (AB) 52, all NAHC-listed California Native American Tribal representatives that have requested project notification pursuant to AB 52 were sent Project notification letters by the City on March 16, 2021. Dudek reviewed a geotechnical report that was prepared for the Project in June 2020 (Ninyo & Moore 2020) finding that fill soils overlay portions of the Project site at depths of 1 to 7 feet. Additionally, numerous uncompacted soil stockpiles were observed near areas with deeper fill, collectively indicating that the Project site had been previously prepared. An archaeological pedestrian survey of the Project site was conducted on April 7, 2021, which involved walking parallel transects, spaced no more than 15 meters apart (approximately 49 feet), in areas of exposed ground surface when possible. Much of the 17-acre Project site consists of unmaintained and previously disturbed open land constructed park amenities, confirming that the native soils in the Project site were subject to moderate to heavy disturbance, reducing the probability of identifying cultural resources. No prehistoric or historic-era archaeological resources were identified within the Project site through a search of the CHRIS database, NAHC SLF review, or as a result of the intensive-level archaeological pedestrian survey. Considering that the Project site has been previously disturbed, the potential to find unknown intact archaeological deposits is considered low, unless native soils are encountered during Project related ground disturbance. To ensure proper treatment of inadvertent discoveries of archaeological resources it is recommended that preconstruction cultural resources awareness training is completed prior to project 13280.02 iii DUDEK APRIL 2021 CULTURAL RESOURCES STUDY THE CENTRAL PARK BUILDOUT PROJECT construction, and that a qualified archaeologist be retained to address any such discoveries. These measures should be noted on all construction plans to ensure the potential Project impacts to archaeological resources and human remains would be less than significant. 13280.02 iv DUDEK APRIL 2021 CULTURAL RESOURCES STUDY THE CENTRAL PARK BUILDOUT PROJECT 1 INTRODUCTION The City of Santa Clarita (City) retained Dudek to complete a CEQA-compliant cultural resources study for the proposed Central Park Buildout Project (Project). This report includes the results of a California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS)