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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAppendix C - Cultural Resources Record Search Results April 8, 2022 14222 Mr. Kevin Rice Patriot Development Partners 12126 West Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90049 Subject: Cultural Resources Record Search Results for the Santa Ana & Almond Warehouse Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California Dear Mr. Rice: Dudek was retained by Patriot Development Partners (Applicant) to conduct a preliminary cultural resources assessment in support of the proposed Santa Ana & Almond Warehouse Project (proposed Project). This letter report includes the following components: (1) a summary of the results of a California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS) records search intended to identify recorded cultural resources and previously conducted cultural resource studies within the proposed Project site and a 0.5-mile records search buffer; (2) an assessment of the known cultural resources as well as the potential for unknown resources to be present within the proposed Project site; 3) an appraisal of what, if any, limitations the presence or potential presence of cultural resources may pose to Project development pursuant to state and local regulations. The City of Fontana (City) is the lead agency responsible for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and for considering approval of the Project. Project Location and Present Use The proposed Project site is located in the southern portion of the City in southwestern San Bernardino County. The approximately 8.7 acre rectangular proposed Project site is immediately bounded by Santa Ana Avenue to the north, Almond Avenue to the east, a developed property with truck storage and sales to the south, and a single-story warehouse to the west. The proposed Project site is composed of six (6) parcels and includes the following Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APNs) and addresses: • APN 0236-171-89 is addressed as 10922 Almond Avenue • APN 0236-272-87 is addressed as 10944 Almond Avenue • APN 0236-171-88 is addressed as 10980 Almond Avenue • APN 0236-171-85 is addressed as 10990 Almond Avenue • APN 0236-171-80 is addressed as 14241 Santa Ana Avenue • APN 0236-171-79 is addressed as 14221 Santa Ana Avenue • APN 0236-171-47 is addressed as 14205 Santa Ana Avenue To: Mr. Kevin Rice Subject: Cultural Resources Record Search Results for the Santa Ana & Almond Warehouse Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California 14222 2 April 2022 Regional access to the project site is provided by Interstate (I)-10 to the north, I-15 to the west, and State Route (SR)- to the south (Attachment A: Figures 1 and 2). At the time of this assessment, the proposed Project site was occupied by industrial businesses (trucking and heavy equipment) including several storage buildings and sheds and six single-family residential structures. The remainder of the proposed Project site consists of gravel parking areas, various hardscape features, and paved driveways and parking areas. Historical uses at the proposed Project site include agriculture, residential, mobile home/RV park, and vehicle staging. The proposed Project site was used for agricultural purposes from approximately the 1930s to 1950s. Residential and agricultural-related structures were developed on the proposed Project site in the late 1950s and through the 1960s. Additional residential structures were developed on the proposed Project site during the 1980s, and infrastructure related to vehicle storage such as paved and graveled areas and associated structures were developed in the 1980s and 1990s. By the 1990s, the proposed Project site contained much of the structures present on site at the time of the survey. Project Description The proposed Project includes the construction of a one-story, 204,695 square-foot warehouse building with a maximum height of 60 feet above ground surface (ags) including a 5,000 square-foot office and a 5,000 square-foot mezzanine. The building would be located in the center of the proposed Project site with paved parking lots, a truck court, loading areas, and a total of 50,380 square feet of landscaped areas. A driveway would be located along the southern portion of the proposed Project site providing access from Almond Avenue to two of the parking lots and the western side of the proposed Project site would include a truck court, providing 27 trailer parking spots, 20 loading docks, two staircases, and one ramp to the warehouse building. A security gate would be placed at the Santa Ana Avenue entrance to control traffic between the truck court and the northwestern parking lot. The proposed Project would include improvements to Santa Ana Avenue and Almond Avenue along the proposed Project’s street frontages, including a landscape setback, a new sidewalk, and improvements within the roadway right-of-way (ROW). Consistent with City standards, all existing overhead utility service lines adjoining and interior to the proposed Project site would be located underground, and new City streetlights would be installed within the dedicated ROW. A variety of trees, shrubs, plants, and land covers would be planted in the landscape areas throughout the proposed Project site, in conformance with the City’s approved plant palette list. Access to the proposed Project site would be provided by three driveways; one off Santa Ana Avenue and two off Almond Avenue. The first, along Santa Ana Avenue, would be 40-foot-wide located at the To: Mr. Kevin Rice Subject: Cultural Resources Record Search Results for the Santa Ana & Almond Warehouse Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California 14222 3 April 2022 northwestern corner of the proposed Project site, intended for truck access to the vehicle parking lot and truck court; the second would be 30-foot wide located along Almond Avenue approximately 150 feet south of the intersection of Santa Ana Avenue and Almond Avenue, intended for passenger-vehicle access to the employee parking lot; the third would be 30-foot-wide located at the southeastern corner of the proposed Project site, intended for passenger-vehicle access to two of the employee parking lots. Vehicle parking for employees, totaling 129 parking spots, would be provided by parking lots located along the east side, southwest corner and northwest corner of the proposed Project site. The proposed Project site is currently developed and includes domestic water, natural gas, and electricity. However, the water and sewer lines are not adequately sized to serve the proposed Project requiring upgrade or replacement. Accordingly, lateral water lines would be installed and connected to the existing water line within Almond Avenue to provide adequate domestic water service and fire flow. Similarly, lateral sewer lines would be extended from the existing sewer main to the proposed Project site though the installation of an 8-inch sewer main extension within the Almond Avenue ROW, and a 6-inch sewer line from the sewer main extension to the proposed Project site. A new engineered storm drain system would be constructed on the proposed Project site to collect and treat on-site stormwater runoff. Collection of stormwater would be accomplished through a series of inlets and catch basins then conveyed to an on-site underground infiltration basin located beneath the truck court. The infiltration basin would allow a certain amount of stormwater to infiltrate into the soils with excess water flowing into the City’s storm drain system. Background Research SCCIC Records Search On March 8, 2022, Dudek conducted an in-person CHRIS records search at the SCCIC, located on the campus of California State University, Fullerton. The CHRIS records search included any previously recorded cultural resources and investigations within a 0.5-mile radius of the proposed Project site. The CHRIS search also included a review of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR), the California Points of Historical Interest list, the California Historical Landmarks list, the Archaeological Determinations of Eligibility list, and the California State Historic Resources Inventory list. The confidential CHRIS records search results are presented in Attachment B. To: Mr. Kevin Rice Subject: Cultural Resources Record Search Results for the Santa Ana & Almond Warehouse Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California 14222 4 April 2022 Previously Conducted Cultural Resource Investigations SCCIC records indicate that four (4) cultural resource investigations have been previously conducted within the proposed Project’s records search area between 2003 and 2016. None of these studies overlap the proposed Project site. In addition to the reports provided by the SCCIC, Dudek also reviewed one report that is not in the CHRIS database or on file with the SCCIC. This report, prepared by Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., addresses an area adjacent to the current proposed Project site. Table 1, below, summarizes all cultural resources investigations within the records search area followed by a summary of the adjacent report not on file with the SCCIC. Table 1. Previous Cultural Resources Investigations Within 0.5-Mile of the Proposed Project Site SCCIC Report Number Title Author Year Proximity to Proposed Project Site SB-04248 Cultural Resources Assessment: Cingular Wireless Facility No. Sb264-03, Fontana, San Bernardino County, CA Duke, Curt 2003 Outside SB-05420 Identification and Evaluation of Historic Properties: Revised Wineville Recycled Water Pipeline in the Cities of Ontario and Fontana, San Bernardino County, California. Tang, Bai “Tom”, Laurie Taylor, and Daniel Ballester 2006 Outside SB-05973 Identification and Evaluation of Historic Properties: Fontana-3 Pipeline Laterals Recycled Water Pipeline Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California Encarnacion, Deirdre, Harry M. Quinn, Daniel Ballester, and Laura H. Shaker 2008 Outside SB-08231 Report on Archaeological Monitoring of Earth-Moving Activities for West Fontana Logistics Center Project 10918 Cherry Avenue; APN 0236-181-11 City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California CRM TECH Contract No. 3128 Hogan, Michael 2016 Outside Other Reports Reviewed by Dudek *NA Cultural Resources Study for the Fontana Santa Ana Industrial Center Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. 2019 Adjacent Note: *Report is not on file with the SCCIC. Report is only on file with Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. Other Reports Reviewed The report, Cultural Resources Study for the Fontana Santa Ana Industrial Center Project (Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. 2019), documents the results of a cultural resource study for the Santa Ana Industrial project located west of and immediately adjacent to the current proposed Project site. The study includes the results of a records search review, the Native American Heritage Commission’s Sacred Lands Files, Native American outreach, and a field survey. No cultural resources were discovered within the 2019 study To: Mr. Kevin Rice Subject: Cultural Resources Record Search Results for the Santa Ana & Almond Warehouse Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California 14222 5 April 2022 area as a result of the archival, background research, or Native American outreach; however, (5) historic built environment resources, characterized as residential buildings, were identified as a result of the pedestrian survey. Of these five (5) historic-period built environment resources, one of the resources, eventually assigned the identification code P-36-033111, was documented as located immediately west, outside and adjacent to the current proposed Project site. All five (5) historic-period built environment resources identified by Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. were evaluated and determined to be not significant pursuant to CEQA and ineligible for listing on any national, state or local registries. No mitigation measures were recommended for the historic buildings. However, the report states that there is a potential for unidentified significant historic-period archaeological deposits to exist within the project’s study area and includes recommendations that a qualified archaeologist monitor construction grading. Previously Recorded Cultural Resources SCCIC records indicate that five (5) cultural resources have been previously recorded within the 0.5-mile records search radius. All five (5) cultural resources are historic built environment resources. As previously discussed in the previous section, one resource, P-36-033111, is adjacent to the proposed Project site to the west. Table 2, below, summarizes all five (5) previously recorded cultural resources within the records search area, followed by a brief summary of resource P-36-033111. Table 2. Previously Recorded Archaeological Resources Within a 0.5-Mile of the Proposed Project Site Primary Number Age and Type Description NRHP Eligibility Year/Recorded By Proximity to Proposed Project Site P-36-033107 Built Environment: Single-Family Property Single-family property at 10909 Banana Avenue (built 1944) 6Z: Found ineligible for the NRHP and California Register (CR) through survey evaluation 2019 (Stropes, Jennifer) Outside P-36-033108 Built Environment: Single-Family Property Single-family property at 10991 Banana Avenue (built 1955) 6Z: Found ineligible for the NRHP and CR through survey evaluation 2019 (Stropes, Jennifer) Outside P-36-033109 Built Environment: Single-Family Property Single-family property at 11015 Banana Avenue (built 1945) 6Z: Found ineligible for the NRHP and CR through survey evaluation 2019 (Stropes, Jennifer) Outside P-36-033110 Built Environment: Single-Family Property Single-family property at 11045 Banana Avenue (built between 1948 and 1959) 6Z: Found ineligible for the NRHP and CR through survey evaluation 2019 (Stropes, Jennifer) Outside To: Mr. Kevin Rice Subject: Cultural Resources Record Search Results for the Santa Ana & Almond Warehouse Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California 14222 6 April 2022 Table 2. Previously Recorded Archaeological Resources Within a 0.5-Mile of the Proposed Project Site Primary Number Age and Type Description NRHP Eligibility Year/Recorded By Proximity to Proposed Project Site P-36-033111 Built Environment: Single-Family Property Single-family property at 14191 Santa Ana Avenue (built 1945) 6Z: Found ineligible for the NRHP and CR through survey evaluation 2019 (Stropes, Jennifer) Adjacent P-36-033111 Resource P-36-033111 is a historic built environment resource located along the northwest edge of the current proposed Project site. It was originally formally recorded in 2019 by J.R.K. Stropes during a Phase I cultural resources survey in support of the Cultural Resources Study for the Fontana Santa Ana Industrial Center Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California (Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. 2019), which is discussed in the previous section of this present report. The single-family property was constructed in 1945 and has been altered since its original construction. According to the record for this resource, it has been deemed historically insignificant and ineligible for the National Register. No additional information pertaining to the current status of this resource is provided in the SCCIC records search materials. However, of note, a review of historical aerial photographs show that the structure was demolished prior to April 2020 (Google Earth). Geotechnical Report Review The geotechnical study, Geotechnical Engineering Investigation, Proposed Industrial Warehouse Development SWC Almond Avenue and Santa Ana Avenue, Fontana, California (NorCal Engineering 2022), was conducted for the current proposed Project in January 2022. The associated report details the results of subsurface explorations at eighteen (18) locations conducted on August 11, 2021 and December 3, 2021 within the proposed Project site using a truck-mounted hollow stem auger drilling rig or a hand- operated auger. These subsurface exploratory borings were advanced to depths between 5 and 21 feet (ft) below ground surface (bgs). According to the report, eight (8) subsurface exploratory boring (B-1 through B-8) were conducted within the western half portion of the proposed Project site (14205 and 14221 Santa Ana Avenue), Four (4) exploratory borings (B-9 through B-12) were conducted within the northeastern quadrant of the proposed Project site (10922 Almond Avenue ). No exploratory borings were conducted within 10944 Almond Avenue. Three (3) exploratory borings(B-13 through B-15) were conducted within 10980 Almond Avenue and three (3) exploratory borings (B-16 through B-18) were conducted within 10990 Almond Avenue. The boring logs for the subsurface exploratory investigation indicate that fill soils were encountered between surface up to 2 ft bgs and are underlain by native soils. The fill soils are characterized To: Mr. Kevin Rice Subject: Cultural Resources Record Search Results for the Santa Ana & Almond Warehouse Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California 14222 7 April 2022 as brown, fine to medium-grained, silty sand with gravel with some borings encountering asphalt, rock, concrete and cobbles within the fill. Of note, the fill soils are overlain by either asphaltic concrete, pulverized asphalt with Petromat, or pea gravel all of which vary in thickness from between 2 to 8 inches, depending on the boring location. Native soils were encountered directly beneath fill soils to the maximum depth explored and are characterized as undisturbed soils that are brown to light brown, slightly silty sand with gravel and some rock and cobbles that were encountered beneath the upper fill soils. Table 3, below, summarizes the results of the subsurface geological conditions at each boring location. Table 3. Geotechnical Report Review Summary – NorCal Engineering (2022) Boring No. Location of Boring Maximum Depth Explored Depth of Fill Soils Depth of Native Soils B-1 14205 and 14221 Santa Ana Avenue 5 ft. bgs 8 inches (in) - 2 ft bgs 2-5 ft bgs B-2 14206 and 14221 Santa Ana Avenue 10t. bgs 6 in - 1.5 ft bgs 1.5-10 ft bgs B-3 14207 and 14221 Santa Ana Avenue 21 ft. bgs surface - 1.5 ft bgs 1.5-21 ft bgs B-4 14208 and 14221 Santa Ana Avenue 10 ft. bgs surface - 2 ft bgs 2-10 ft bgs B-5 14209 and 14221 Santa Ana Avenue 10 ft. bgs 2 in - 1 ft bgs 1-10 ft bgs B-6 14210 and 14221 Santa Ana Avenue 10 ft. bgs surface - 1 ft bgs 1-10 ft bgs B-7 14211 and 14221 Santa Ana Avenue 10 ft. bgs 6 in - 2 ft bgs 2-10 ft bgs B-8 14212 and 14221 Santa Ana Avenue 10 ft. bgs 5 in - 2 ft bgs 2-10 ft bgs B-9 10922 Almond Avenue 5 ft. bgs 2 in - 1.5 ft bgs 1.5-5 ft bgs B-10 10922 Almond Avenue 10 ft. bgs 4 in - 1 ft bgs 1-10 ft bgs B-11 10922 Almond Avenue 21 ft. bgs 5 in - 2 ft bgs 2-21 ft bgs B-12 10922 Almond Avenue 10 ft. bgs surface - 1.5 ft bgs 1.5-10 ft bgs B-13 10980 Almond Avenue 11 ft. bgs surface - 1 ft bgs 1-11 ft bgs B-14 10980 Almond Avenue 10 ft. bgs surface - 1 ft bgs 1-10 ft bgs B-15 10980 Almond Avenue 10 ft. bgs surface - 1.5 ft bgs 1.5-10 ft bgs B-16 10990 Almond Avenue 10 ft. bgs surface - 1.5 ft bgs 1.5-10 ft bgs B-17 10990 Almond Avenue 11 ft. bgs surface - 2 ft bgs 2-11 ft bgs B-18 10990 Almond Avenue 10 ft. bgs surface - 1.5 ft bgs 1.5-10 ft bgs To: Mr. Kevin Rice Subject: Cultural Resources Record Search Results for the Santa Ana & Almond Warehouse Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California 14222 8 April 2022 Summary and Management Considerations Dudek completed a review of the CHRIS records search results for the proposed Project site and a 0.5-mile (2,640-foot) records search area. Results of the records search indicate that the entirety of the proposed Project site has not been subject to any previous cultural resources investigations. Additionally, the results of the CHRIS records search indicate that one previously recorded cultural resource, has been recorded immediately west and adjacent to the proposed Project site. Resource P-36-033111 consists of a single- family residential structure constructed in 1945 was determined, by a previous study, to not be significant pursuant to CEQA criteria and ineligible for national, state and local registries. The residential structure has since been demolished. No prehistoric or historic archaeological resources have been identified within the proposed Project site or 0.5-mile records search area through the CHRIS database; however, as previously mentioned, no previous cultural resource investigations have been completed for the proposed Project site. A review of aerial photographs determined that the previously recorded resource was demolished and the area graded sometime between 2019 and 2020. The report by Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., which documents the survey that identified this resource, stated that there is a potential for unidentified historic- period archaeological deposits to exist within the project’s study area. As such, the report includes a recommendation that a qualified archaeologist monitor construction grading. While no known prehistoric or historic-period archaeological resources have been identified within the proposed Project site through the CHRIS database, the proposed Project site has not been subject to a cultural resources survey either previously or as a result of this study, Therefore, no systematic verification of negative finding has been conducted through a pedestrian survey or subsurface testing, Although, because of its close proximity to the proposed Project site, resource P-36-033111 has the potential to yield subsurface historic-period archaeological deposits within the proposed Project site, it is important to note that historic deposits associated with the demolished structure would likely not be significant. This is based on the failure for the structure to meet CEQA significance criteria. A review of a geotechnical report prepared for the proposed Project site indicated that fill soils were encountered between surface and 2 ft bgs and are underlain by native soils. The proposed Project site’s native soils consist of Quaternary alluvium and marine deposits from the Pleistocene to Holocene geologic age. More specifically, the proposed Project site is underlain by Quaternary younger fan deposits associated with the Holocene age. Holocene-era alluvial formations do have the potential to support the presence of buried archaeological resources. These soils are associated with the period of prehistoric human use, as well as represent ongoing processes of development that have potential to preserve cultural material in context, depending on area-specific topographical setting. According to the geotechnical report’s recommendations for site preparation, the report recommends the removal of existing vegetation and/or demolition debris, including the removal of fill soils identified between surface and 2 ft bgs and includes To: Mr. Kevin Rice Subject: Cultural Resources Record Search Results for the Santa Ana & Almond Warehouse Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California 14222 9 April 2022 an additional 12 in of scarification. The depths of proposed ground disturbance for the Project is unknown, however, for management and recommendation purposes, it is assumed not to exceed 5 ft bgs. The proposed Project site has been utilized for agricultural use as early as 1938 up to the 1950s. Following this period, the site transformed steadily with development of residential and agricultural-related structures between the late 1950s through to the 1960s. Development continued during the 1980s and by the 1990s, the proposed Project site was developed to include the buildings and/or structures consistent with the current site conditions. Due to the consistent and substantial ground disturbing activities that have occurred since at least 1938, the soils within the proposed Project site are highly disturbed to unknown depths. In consideration of all these factors, the potential to encounter intact deposits containing archaeological resources within soils between the current grade and 2 ft bgs is unlikely; however, ground disturbing activities within the proposed Project site at depths exceeding 2 ft bgs is unknown. As such, adherence to the mitigation measures (MMs) established in the Program Environmental Impact Report for the Southwest Industrial Park (SWIP) Specific Plan (SP) area pertaining to prehistoric and historic-period archaeological resources, such as response and treatment of inadverant discovery of unknown cultural resources would ensure that any potential impacts to unknown archaeological resources within the proposed Project site would be less-than-significant. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about this letter report and its findings. Linda Kry can be reached by email at lkry@dudek.com and Heather McDaniel McDevitt can be reached at hmcdevitt@dudek.com. Sincerely, ______________________ ______________________________ Linda Kry, B.A., RA Heather McDaniel McDevitt, M.A., RPA Archaeologist Archaeologist cc: Patrick Cruz, Dudek Att: Appendix A: Figures Appendix B. (Confidential): SCCIC Records Search Information To: Mr. Kevin Rice Subject: Cultural Resources Record Search Results for the Santa Ana & Almond Warehouse Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California 14222 10 April 2022 References Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. 2019. Cultural Resources Study for the Fontana Santa Ana Industrial Center Project. Prepared for T&B Planning, Inc. Google Earth. 2022. Historic Aerials. https://earth.google.com/web/. Accessed April 2022. NorCal Engineering. 2022. Geotechnical Engineering Investigation, Proposed Industrial Warehouse Development SWC Almond Avenue and Santa Ana Avenue, Fontana, California. Prepared for Patriot Partners. Appendix A Figures Appendix B SCCIC Records Search Results – Confidential