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Neil Thompson
Stravinski Development Group
4i3 W. Yosemite Avenue Suite 105
Madera, CA93637
September 18,2015
Dear Mr. Thompson:
RE: CULTURAL RESOURCES STUDY OF TI.IE 450 GREEN ISLAND ROAD PRoJECT
AREA, CITY OF AMERICAN CANYON, NAPA COTINTY, CALIFORNIA
At your request I have completed an archaeological literature review and field inspection
of the above referenced project area located in American Canyon. No evidence of historic and/or
prehistoric archaeological resources was noted. This report contains a summary of information
gained to date.
PROJECT DESCzuPTION
The proposed project area consists ofa rectangular shaped 12.3 parcel located on the
north side of Green Island Road west of Highway 29 in American Canyon. Located on the
Cuttings Wharf U.S.G.S. map, the project is bordered by Green Island Road on the south, with
fence lines and adjacent parcels on the west, north and east. According to historical aerial maps
provided by your office, the property was graded in anticipation of eventual development in
2007,leaving a recently disced field transected from south to north by two roadways.
Historical maps provided by your office and produced by Monk & Associates show the
parcel as early as 1947,vthen it was comprised of open fields with the exception of a small
extension of the building complex found on the eastern edge of the property. By 1968 the
property had been subdivided into two separate ranchettes, containing clusters of structures near
the southern border and the northeast corner of the property with what appears to be an orchard at
the northwest comer of the original parcel. Air photos dating 1993,1998 and2006 show a
pattern of earth disturbance, road grading and building removal, leading to the cleared parcel by
2007. According to your August 28'h email. geotechnical borings documented the deposition of 2
to 4 feet of imported soils on the eastern half of the site with lesser amounts on the western half.
450 GREEN ISLAND ROAD AMERICAN CANYON ARCHAEOLOGICAL
REPORT
ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
An archaeological literature review was conducted by this author
on Septemb et lS,2A$
(Northwest Information center file no. 15-0451).
There are no cultural resources recorded inside
the project area' and no recorded archaeological sites
recorded within a mile radius of it.
The possible presence of archaeological materials however
first arose in l974when an
archaeological survey was conducted for the proposed Napa/American
canyon pipeline. David
Fredrickson (1975) wrote about the discovery in'I974by
ihomas King of two loci of
archaeological materials, one at the base of dat Hill. south
of Green rJano Road, and another
about a half mile north of Green Island Road, north of
the current project area. King had reported
finding stone artifacts and a flat grinding stone, and had postulated
that alarge archaeological site
extended from the base of oat Hill northwards for
over a mile.
Fredrickson was brought in to re-suryey the route of the pipeline
and to verify the
findings of King from tlee year before. In interviews with local
farmers he received conflicting
t"nfon3atlon about possible archaeological resources,
in particular in the two gen.rul locations
described by King. Fredrickson himself revisited these
two general archaeologically sensitive
zones and failed to find any actual evidence of resources.
He concluded that nevertheless the
areas should be considered archaeologically sensitive.
The r975 Fredrickson report contains an addendum written
by staff archaeologist Lynn
Eiseman who worked at what would be called the Anthropological
Studies center at Sonoma
State university where Fredrickson taught. Done in
1976)theEiseman report was a summary of
archaeological monitoring of the pipeline trench running from
Oat Hill north of Green Island
Road' No evidence of archaeological deposits as reporte"d
by King or as speculated by
Fredrickson were seen. Unmodified obsidian nodules,
natuially aepositea'from nearby sources in
the past were noted. In short, the two sensitive areas
reported on Uy fing and Frearickson were
never recorded as actual in situ archaeological resources.
In 1978 the general area north of
Green Island Road was visited by Ann S. peak &
Associates as part of the Napa-American Canyon Wastewater
Reuse program. The proposed
reservoir site, north of the present project area, was surveyed
with negative findings.
In 1980 David Chavez was retained to conduct an archaeological
study of the 160 acre
Green Island Industrial Park. Chavez noted on the 1974
and 1975 relorts claiming that a large
scattered archaeological resource existed on the north
side of Oat Hitt, poittting-out that the 1976
monitoring by Eiseman had invalidated that finding. Chaveznevertheless
concluded that the
Industrial Park location was archaeologically r.nriiiu. and recommended
that project related
archaeological field studies be compieted. other than a study
of the 73 acreHaaner properfy
450 GREEN ISLAND ROAD AMERICAN CANYON ARCHAEOLOGICAL
REPORT
which included much of oat Hill by Thomas Jackson, the
only other study was of the 50 acre
Hanna Court project done by this author in2006.
rn2006 this author completed an archaeological study of
the 50 acre Hanna Court project
tip of oat Hill. Aithat time the parcel had undergone extensive
grading and had been stripped of soils. The report
concluded that there were no visible
archaeological resources ancl future developmlnt would
have no effect on cultural resources
thanks to the massive soils removal which had occuned.
area which included the northern
DESCzuPTION OF FIELD INSPECTION
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A visual inspection of the project area was conducted by this author
on September
9,
ay walking 30 foot transects from south to north over
the entire area. Thanks to a recent
discing, over 90o/o of the project area was visible, with the
exception of the two roadways which
enter the property and extend to its northern end. It is
obvious that there has been extensive
filling of imported fill with a small arca atthe southern end exhibiting
a brown clay loam which
may be native to the area.
FINDING/RE
C
OMMENDATIONS
No visible evidence
of historic and,lorprehistoric archaeological resources was
seen
anywhere inside the project borders. while it must be
acknowledgJd that alargs portion of the
project area has been filled over, thus blocking
a view of native ,Jilr. it is the Epinion of this
author that the parcel has at best low archaeol6gical
sensitivity and that future d'evelopment of
the parcel should have no effect on significant
f,rehistoric archaeoiogical resources.
The studies done in 1974 tfuough 1976 of the former pipeline
right of way were based
upon the claims of the original archaeological survey
by Thomas King and his contention that
there were two areas (possibly connecteclj of archaeololicat
site materials. None of the
subsequent studies of the area confirmed this finding,
ii particular the rgT6archaeological
monitoring of the pipeline route which gave the ur.rr'u.otogist
a visual inspection from the south
to north through the entire area. It appears that what
King law was at besihistorically shattered
cobbles of obsidian which are a natural component of
the soils of the area-other than areputed
millingstone, neither King nor Fredrickson noted any evidence
of Native American habitation or
use areas' In short, these two areas of archaeologicai
sensitivity probably never existed.
As stated above, it is the opinion of this author that future
development of the 450 Green
Road parcel will have no effect on significant historic
and.lorprehistoric cultural resources.
!]?"d
This report does not recommend any form of mechanical
subsurface presence testing, and does
not recommend archaeological monitoring of construction
related earthmoving activities.
450 GREEN ISLAND ROAD AMERICAN CANYON ARCHAEOLOGICAL
REPORT
There always remains a small possibility that earthmoving activities
may uncover
evidence of Native American use and/or occupation of the area. In
the event that any of the
indicators described below are encountered during construction, work
should be halted within 50
feet of any discovery until a qualified archaeologist has been retainecl
to evaluate
the discovery:
Darker than surrounding soils of a friable nature, concentrations of stone,
bone or
shellfish, artifacts of these material and evidence of fire (ash, charcoal.
fire affected earth or rock)
and human remains.
If any of these materials are discovered, it is recommended that work be halted within
the
zone of archaeological sensitivity until a plan for mitigation has
been submitted to the American
Canyon Planning Department for approval. Mitigation can include additional
archaeological
monitoring inside the zone of sensitivity to record and/or remove for analysis
significant
archaeological materials, coupled with iimited data retrieval through hand
excavation of potential
significant archaeological deposits. In the event that human remains are
discovered, it is the
responsibility of thc project sponsor to contact the County Coroner's
Office and the Native
American Heritage Commission (NAHC). it is the responsibility of the
NAHC to name a Most
Likely Descendant (MLD), a person who will ..pr.r.nt tribai interests regarding
the method of
recording and removal of ali human remains and associates grave goods
and also to advise the
project sponsor regarding the method and place of reburial of these
materials.
Sincerely,
,trlMiley Paul Holman
Holman & Associates
450 GREEN ISLAND ROAD AMERICAN CANYON ARCHAEOLOGICAL
REPORT
REFERENCES
Chavez,David
1980
Archaeological report for the Green Island Industrial park, Napa
County.
on file, Northwest Information center cl{wlc) file no. s-2372
Fredrickson, David
I97s
Island Road. Napa Countv. Califomia. On file, NWIC S-f S:
Holman, Miley
2006
CULTURAL RESOURCES INSPECTION OF THE HANNA COURT
PROJECT AREA, AMERICAN CANYON, NAPA COLTNTY,
CALIFORNIA. On file, Holman & Associates
Jackson, Thomas
1976
Letter report conceming the culturar resources study of the Maher property,
Oat Hill. On file, NWIC S-1012
Ann S. Peak & Associates
CULTURAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT oF THE NAPA-AMEzuCAN
cANYoN WASTER REUSE pRocRAM. on fire, NWIC s-1200
1978
450 GREEN ISLAND ROAD PROJECT AREA
CITY OF AMERICAN CANYON
NAPA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
CUTTINGS WHARF U.S.G.S. MAP 1949; photorevised 1981
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