HomeMy WebLinkAboutUnanticipated Discovery Plan-Sunset Gardens.pdfHCD Labor 4.16 Info Form #4 Rev: 3/16/2022 Page 1 of 4 Unanticipated Discovery Plan
UNANTICIPATED DISCOVERY PLAN FOR CULTURAL RESOURCES DURING HUD-
AFFILIATED PROJECTS, KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON
1. INTRODUCTION
In order to address the need for post -review discovery and consultation among the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Washington State Department of Archaeology and
Historic Preservation (DAHP), the City of Renton (City), the King County Housing Authority
(KCHA), the King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) and affected
tribe(s), this document serves as the primary guidance tool for the treatment of cultural resources
discovered during the project. Archaeological materials include , but are not limited to, human
skeletal remains, artifacts, sites or any othe r cultural resources eligible, or potentially eligible, for
listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This plan is intended to provide guidance
to the City, DCHS, and KCHA and its contractors and subcontractors so they can:
• Comply with any applicable Federal and State laws and regulations, particularly 36 CFR 800 (as
amended August 5, 2004) that implements Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act
of 1966, and seek guidance from Title 27 Revised Code of Washington Chapter 27.4 4 Indian
Graves and Records, Chapter 27.53 Archaeological Sites and Resources ; Title 68 Revised Code
of Washington Chapter 68.50 Human Remains, Chapter 68.60 Abandoned and Historic
Cemeteries and historic graves ;
• Describe to regulatory and review agencies the procedures agents shall follow to prepare for and
deal with unanticipated discoveries ;
• Provide direction and guidance to project personnel for the proper procedures to be followed
should an unanticipated discovery occur ; and
• Provide current contact information for notification upon any discovery .
2. SPECIAL PROCEDURES FOR THE DISCOVERY OF HUMAN SKELETAL MATERIAL
Upon discovery of human remains , immediately call:
King County Medical Examiner (206) 731-3232
City of Renton Police Department (425) 430-7500 or other appropriate local law enforcement
Philippe D. LeTourneau, Archaeologist, King County Historic Preservation Program (206) 477-4529
(office).
Any human skeletal remains discovered during this project shall at all times be treated with dignity
and respect.
A. During all project operations, if any City, KCHA, DCHS employee or any of its contractors or
subcontractors believes that he or she has discover ed human skeletal remains, all work adjacent
to the discovery shall cease immediately and the above contacts shall be notified. A 50-foot work
stoppage area shall be maintained around the discovery to provide for the total security,
protection, and integrity of the human skeletal remains, in accordance with Washington State
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Law. Vehicles, equipment, and unauthorized personnel shall not be permitted to traverse or enter
the discovery site. No persons other than the proper law enforcement personnel, professional
archaeologists , King County Historic Preservation Program (HPP) staff, and DAHP staff shall be
authorized direct access to the discovery location after the area is secured. Following the specific
guidance set forth here, the DCHS Project Manager shall im mediately verify that a local law
enforcement official (King County sheriff or local police department) and the King County
Medical Examiner have been contacted.
B. The Medical Examiner will assume jurisdiction over the human skeletal remains and make a
determination as to whether those remains are forensic or non-forensic.
C. If the remains are forensic, the Medical Examiner will determine appropriate procedures for their
disposition. If the remains are non -forensic, the State Physical Anthropologist (at DAHP) will
assume jurisdiction over the remains and will contact appropriate tribes and cemeteries.
D. The State Physical Anthropologist will make a determination as to whether the remains are Indian
or Non-Indian and report that finding to appropriate tribes and cemeteries.
E. The DAHP will handle all consultation with the affected parties as to the future preservation,
excavation, and disposition of the remains.
F. City, KCHA, DCHS and/or HUD shall make a good-faith effort at accommodating requests from
the affected tribe(s) or other groups to be present after they are notified of discoveries and prior to
the implementation of mitigation measures related to the human remains.
3. DISCOVERY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES
The following section establishes provisions for the professional archaeological treatment of cultural
materials discovered during usual construction activities.
Provisions of the Cultural/Archaeological Resource Procedures are as follows:
A. If any City, KCHA, or DCHS employee or any of its contractors or subcontractors believes that
he or she has uncovered any cultural resource at any point in the project, all work adjacent to the
discovery shall cease immediately and the DCHS Project Manager shall be contacted. The DCHS
Project Manager shall immediately notify Philippe D. LeTourneau, Archaeologist, King County
Historic Preservation Program a t (206) 477-4529. He shall assist, as his schedule permits, in
determining whether actual resources have been encountered. If such a determination has been
made, he shall immediately notify the appropriate officials, including the DAHP and the
appropriate tribe(s). A cultural resource discovery could be prehistoric or historic and could
consist of:
• areas of charcoal or charcoal -stained soil and stones ;
• stone tools or waste flakes (i.e., an arrowhead or stone chips);
• bones, shells, burned rocks or other food -related materials in association with stone tools or
flakes; and/or
• a cluster of tin cans, bottles, or logging or agricultural equipment older than 50 years .
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B. In order to protect the integrity of a discovery , DCHS shall take appropriate steps to protect the
discovery site by ceasing all work within a 30-foot radius to provide for the total security,
protection, and integrity of the resource. Vehicles, equipment and unauthorized personnel shall
not be permitted to traverse the discovery site. Work in the immediate area shall not resume until
treatment of the discovery has been completed following provisions for treating
archaeological/cultural material as set forth in this document. All communica tions between
DCHS and any agency on cultural resource issues shall go through the DCHS Project Manager.
C. The appropriate agencies will be contacted to report any unanticipated discovery of cultural
resources. All material shall be treated as potentiall y eligible under criterion D for inclusion in
the NRHP for the purposes of Section 106 compliance, in accordance with 36 CFR 800.13(c).
HPP shall contact the affected tribe(s) and inform them of the unanticipated discovery.
Construction shall be halted within the immediate area of the discovery and the scene shall be
protected until consultation to determine the appropriate course of action has been conducted.
D. Where cultural resources are encountered during construction, but additional project effects t o
the resources are not anticipated, project construction may continue while documentation and
assessment of the cultural resources proceed s. Continued construction shall be conducted to the
extent that no additional impacts to resources s hall take place. The total area of work stoppage
shall be adequate to provide for the security, protection and integrity of the discovery in
accordance with Washington State Law. Construction may continue at the discovery location
only after the process outlined in this pl an is followed and the DAHP is satisfied that the Section
106 caveats have been met.
E. All prehistoric and historic cultural material discovered during project construction shall be
recorded by a professional archaeologist on a State of Washington cultural resource site or isolate
form using standard techniques. Site overviews, features, and artifacts shall be photographed;
stratigraphic profiles and soil/sediment descriptions shall be prepared for any subsurface
exposures. Discovery locations shall be documented on scaled site plans and site location maps.
F. Any additional documentation an d investigation of archaeological sites must be conducted in
accordance with a Treatment Plan developed as part of the Section 106 process through
consultation with the DAHP and affected Indian Tribes.
G. Within 90 days of concluding fieldwork, a manageme nt summary describing any and all
monitoring and resultant archaeological excavations shall be provided by DCHS to HPP, DAHP
and the affected tribe(s).
H. If assessment activity exposes human remains (burials, isolated teeth, or bones) all defined
procedures outlined in Part 2 above shall be followed.
Phone List:
Medical Examiner’s Office (206) 731-3232
King County Sheriff’s Office (206) 296-4155
Phil LeTourneau Archaeologist, King County Historic
Preservation. Program (206) 477-4529
Emergency: (206) 949-2670
Ivy Freitag Preservation Planner, King County HPP (206) 477-7976
Rob Whitlam State Archaeologist, DAHP (360) 586-3080
Tanya Jimenez DCHS Community Development Project Mgr. (206) 477-8582
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Matthew Herrera City of Renton, Planning Manager (425) 430-6593
Kathleen Arledge King County Housing Authority (206) 394-3761