Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAAC Min 1998-01-21 . CITY OF SEAL BEACH ARCHAEOLOGICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ADJOURNED MEETING MINUTES JANUARY 21, 1998 CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Johnston called the meeting to order at 5:30 P.M. in the City Council Chambers ROLL CALL Present: Goldberg, Fitzpatrick, Willey (5:32 P.M.), Young, and Chairperson Johnston Also Present: Lee Whittenberg, Director of Development Services . Absent: None Mr. Whittenberg indicated he had not heard from Member Willey, and that hopefully she was held up in traffic. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION by Goldberg; SECOND by Fitzpatrick to approve the Agenda as presented. MOTION CARRIED: 4-0-1 AYES: NOES: ABSENT: Goldberg, Fitzpatrick, Young, and Chairperson Johnston None Willey ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - None Member Willey arrived at 5:32 P.M. CONSENT CALENDAR . 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: REGULAR MEETING OF DECEMBER 3, 1997 C:\My Documents\ARCHCOMM\Ol-21-98 Minutes.doc\LW\Ol-28-98 Archaeological AdvIsory Committee Adjourned Meebng Mmutes January 21.1998 . Member Willey indicated the times of arrival for her and Member Fitzpatrick are inconsistent within the Minutes. Member Fitzpatrick indicated he was the last to arrive. MOTION by Goldberg; SECOND by Young to approve the Minutes of December 3, 1997 as revised to reflect the correct arrival times of Members Fitzpatrick and Willey. MOTION CARRIED: 4-0-1 AYES: NOES: ABSTAIN: Goldberg, Willey, Young, and Chairperson Johnston None Fitzpatrick 2. RECEIVE and FILE "The Archaeology of the Presidio of San Francisco", prepared for Department of the Army, 1997 Recommendation: Receive and File subject report. 3. RECEIVE and FILE "Olivella Grooved Rectangle Beads from a Middle Holocene Site in the Fort Rock Valley, Northern Great Basin", prepared by Dennis L. Jenkins and Jon M. Erlandson, no date . Recommendation: Receive and File subject report. 4. RECEIVE and FILE "Native American Heritage Commission et al., v. Board of Trustees of the California State University", 51 Cal. App. 4th 675, 1996 Recommendation: Receive and File court decision. 5. RECEIVE and FILE Letter from State Office of Historic Preservation to Naval Weapons Station re: m Site 1 Determination of No Impact, dated September 16, 1997 Recommendation: Receive and File subject letter. 6. RECEIVE and FILE Letter from State Office of Historic Preservation to Naval Weapons Station re: Building 33 Repair Determination of No Impact, dated November 10, 1997 Recommendation: Receive and File subject letter. . 01-21-98 Minutes doc 2 Archaeological Advisory Committee Adjourned Meeting Mmutes January 21, 1998 . 7. RECEIVE and FILE "Reverse Archaeologists Are Tracing the Footsteps of a Cowboy-Explorer", Smithsonian Magazine, December 1993, Vol. 24, No 9, Page 28 Recommendation: Receive and File article. 8. RECEIVE and FILE "Together, Scientists and Indians Explore the Conundrums of Casa Malpais", Smithsonian Magazine, March 1992, Vol. 22, No 12, Page 28 Recommendation: Receive and File article. 9. RECEIVE and FILE "The Southern Channel Islands during the Middle Holocene -Trends in Maritime Cultural Evolution", by L. Mark Raab, in Perspectives in California Archaeology, Volume 4, 1997, Vol. 4, Pages 23-34 Recommendation: Receive and File article. 10. RECEIVE and FILE "Debating Cultural Evolution: Regional Implications of Fishing Intensification at Eel Point, San Clemente Island", by L. Mark Raab et. al., in Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly, Volume 31, Number 3, . Summer 1995, Vol. 4, Pages 3-27 Recommendation: Receive and File article. 11. RECEIVE and FILE "Debating Prehistory in Coastal Southern California: Resource Intensification Versus Political Economy", by L. Mark Raab, in Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology, Volume 18, Number 1, 1996, Pages 64-80 Recommendation: Receive and File article. 12. RECEIVE and FILE "Olivella Grooved Rectangle Beads as Evidence of an Early-Period Southern Channel Islands Interaction Sphere", by William J. Howard and L. Mark Raab, in Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly, Volume 29, Number 3, Summer 1993, Pages 1-11 Recommendation: Receive and File article. MOTION by Fitzpatrick; SECOND by Goldberg to approve the Consent Calendar, items 2 through 12. . 01-21-98 Minutes.doc 3 Archaeological Advisory CommIttee Adjourned Meebng Minutes January 21, 1998 . MOTION CARRIED: 5-0 AYES: NOES: Goldberg, Fitzpatrick, Willey, Young, and Chairperson Johnston None SCHEDULED MATIERS 13. CONSIDERATION of Determination of No Significant Effect - U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Training Facility, Letter request to State Office of Historic Preservation from Weapons Support Facility, Seal Beach, dated December 1, 1997 Recommendation: Receive and File subject request. Authorize Chairperson to sign proposed response letter, with any amendments determined appropriate. Request staff to forward to Environmental Quality Control Board and City Council for information purposes. . Mr. Whittenberg indicated this matter was placed on the agenda as an item for consideration of the Committee regarding the proposed construction of a Marine Corps Reserve Training Facility on ten acres, which would be visible from Seal Beach Boulevard. The Navy has submitted a request to the State Office of Historic Preservation (SHPO) a request for determination of no significant effect for the proposed project on archaeological or historical resources. The Navy has submitted extensive documentation regarding that request, including an updated archaeological reconnaissance report of the subject area, which indicates that in the opinion of the investigating archaeologist, there are no cultural resource impacts. Staff has prepared a draft letter for consideration of the Committee, indicating general agreement with that determination. Staff is also recommending the Committee request of the Navy monitoring of all rough grading and foundation trenching by a Native American monitor, in the case of unanticipated cultural resource finds. In addition, the letter also requests a worker instruction packet be prepared as set forth in previous archaeological resource protection plans prepared by the Navy. Mr. Whittenberg introduced Lisa Bosalet of the Weapons Support Facility, Seal Beach, and John Wooden to respond to questions of the Committee. . Lisa Bosalet introduced John Wooden, who presented a colored rendering of the proposed project, and reviewed the basic plan proposal, site layout, architectural style, and anticipated construction schedule. He further indicted 49 trenches were placed throughout the site to determine archaeological resources. He responded to questions of the Committee regarding previous experience in 01-21-98 Mmutes.doc 4 Archaeological Advisory Committee Adjourned Meeting Minutes January 21, 1998 . designing this type of facility, working with historically significant structures, and working with SHPO on historic resource issues. He reviewed the architectural style of the proposed complex in relation to existing buildings adjacent to the proposed project, design measures planned to ensure no impact to the wetland areas, and operational characteristics of the reserve training facility. Lisa Bosalet reviewed with the Committee the location of the investigation trenches, indicating the investigation involves a significant amount of work to ensure no cultural resources will be impacted by the proposed project. Mrs. Bosalet indicated the Navy has had an archaeologist and a Native American monitor present while doing the trench investigation, and realizing there is always the potential for an unexpected find, the recommendation for continued monitoring is more extreme than the City's Archaeology Element requires. She requested this condition be removed, and indicated the working training program is acceptable. Mrs. Bosalet indicated she was concerned about the precedent of this request, in light of the extensive field investigations already conducted by the Navy. If this is to be a regular request of the Committee, it would be cheaper for the Navy to not undertake preliminary field investigations, and just have continuous field monitoring by an archaeologist and Native American monitor during a construction phase. . Extensive discussion occurred between the Committee, staff, and the representatives of the Navy regarding soil excavation procedures, the amount of area to be excavated both horizontally and vertically, the location and depth of existing fill areas in relation to the investigation trench areas, the necessity for full-time monitors during grading activities, the responsibilities and training of Resident Officers in Charge of Construction (ROICs), and the precedent being set by requesting the continuous field monitoring on a site which has been extensively investigated as opposed to a site which has had no previous field investigation. Mr. Whittenberg indicated that based on the discussion it appears the Committee has three options: (1) approve the letter as drafted; (2) having the ROICS person being responsible for field monitoring and ensuring appropriate training of that person, and; (3) Native American monitoring when native soils are encountered as part of the grading activity. The Committee needs to determine a comfort level in dealing with this issue, not only for this project, but for other projects that may be proposed within the City. . Discussion focused on the area closer to Seal Beach Boulevard, west of Hussey Road. Member Willey indicated there is no need to have monitoring of work occurring in fill areas, with the Committee concurring. She suggested that Native American monitoring only be required when the upper two feet of 01-21-98 Mmutes.doc 5 ArchaeologICal AdvISory CommIttee Adjoumed Meetmg Mmutes January 21, 1998 . undisturbed sediment within the project area west of Hussey Road is impacted. The Committee concurred with this suggestion. Mr. Whittenberg suggested the Committee authorize him to sign the letter, as it could not be modified this evening for the Chairperson to sign, and copies provided to the Committee. The Committee concurred. Mr. Whittenberg suggested the following language modification: . "The Archaeological Committee would request that a condition of the project approval require that Native American monitoring of all rough grading and foundation trenching on those portions of the project area between Hussey Road and Seal Beach Boulevard, which go into undisturbed sediment below the identified fill areas, be provided to ensure that the potential for an unanticipated cultural deposit discovery is provided for during these project, and that a worker instruction presentation be provided for the project contractor and work crew in accordance with the provisions set forth in Appendix A, "Archaeological Resource Protection Plan for the Background Study Sampling Areas at Naval Weapons Station, Seal Beach, Orange County, California", prepared by Chambers Group, Inc, August 1995." MOTION by Fitzpatrick, SECOND by Willey to authorize Mr. Whittenberg to forward the response letter as modified with the above language to the Navy and provide copies to the members of the Committee. MOTION CARRIED: 5-0 AYES: NOES: Goldberg, Fitzpatrick, Willey, Young, and Chairperson Johnston None Member Goldberg expressed appreciation for the cooperative efforts between the Navy and the Committee in resolving this issue. This continues to reflect a "good neighbor" policy by the Navy. COMMITTEE CONCERNS . Committeemember Goldberg asked if the Committee could receive a presentation on the C14 dating process? In reading several of the articles on the Consent Calendar, it appears there are different methodologies to calculate a C14 date. Members Fitzpatrick and Willey offered to prepare some information for a presentation to the Committee on February 4, 1998. 01-21-98 Mmutcs doc 6 . . . STAFF CONCERNS - None ADJOURNMENT Archaeological AdvIsory CommIttee Adjourned Meetmg Minutes January 21, 1998 There being no objection, at 6:50 P.M., Chairperson Johnston adjourned the Archaeological Advisory Committee Meeting to Wednesday, February 4, 1998 at 5:30 P.M. ~~. ..-chairperson, Archaeological Advisory Committee Whittenberg, Secretary Archaeological Advisory Committee Note: These Minutes are tentative until approved by the Archaeological Advisory Committee. The Archaeological Advisory Committee Minutes of January 21, 1998 were approved on .4:f::7/2./L f7 , 1998. 01-21-98 Mmutes.doc * * * * 7