Results of Construction Monitoring and Phase 1 Data Recovery at the Pima County Wireless Integrated Network Project Tower Site, City of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona

Summary

The Pima County Information Technology Department and the Pima County Sheriffs Department have joined with a number of public safety entities to develop and put to use the Pima County Wireless Integrated Network (PCWIN)—a regional public safety radio system. The PCWIN project included establishment of more than 30 tower sites and/or dispatch centers, the majority of which involved the collocation of new facilities onto existing tower structures and/or within existing buildings.

The consultation process resulted in a determination by the FCC that construction of the new 125-foot-tall PCWIN tower would adversely affect historic properties. Specifically, there would be direct impacts to contributing components of the Tumamoc Hill Archaeological District, as well as impacts to the visual character of both the Tumamoc Hill Archaeological District and Desert Laboratory NHL. Resolution of these issues was sought through a program of avoidance procedures, archaeological monitoring, and data recovery to be conducted in accordance with the stipulations of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the FCC, the National Park Service, SHPO, the University of Arizona, Pima County, and concurring parties, which included the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and ASM. CRHPD contracted SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) to produce a treatment plan (Hesse 2012).

Consultation also determined that several of the activities associated with construction of the tower would either not impact contributing resources to the Desert Laboratory NHL and Tumamoc Hill Archaeological District or they would not adversely affect these historic properties provided construction activities followed the procedures specified in the project monitoring and discovery plan (Hesse 2011a). These activities included the identification and marking of subsurface utilities, pre-construction geotechnical testing, repair of the existing access road pavement, building demolition and tower disassembly, and at-grade power pole removal.

Construction was undertaken episodically between October 12, 2011, and September 14, 2013. SWCA monitored construction activities in accordance with the monitoring and discovery plan (Hesse 2011a). SWCA also completed the archaeological Phase 1 data recovery outlined in the treatment plan (Hesse 2012). Data recovery fieldwork began on February 24, 2012, and was completed on March 12, 2012.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SWCA DAHA Resources   •
• Digital Archive of Huhugam Archaeology (DAHA)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): SWCA Environmental Consultants

Contributor(s): Federal Communications Commission; National Park Service; Arizona State Museum; Arizona State Historic Preservation Office; Linda M. Gregonis; India S. Hesse; M. Steven Shackley

Landowner(s): Arizona Board of Regents

Submitted To(s): Pima County Office of Sustainability and Conservation, Cultural Resources and Historic Preservation Division

Record Identifiers

State Historic Preservation Office No.(s): SHPO-2011-0815

Arizona Antiquities Act Project Specific Permit No. (s): 2011-088ps

SWCA Project No. (s): 16220

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