Posted on 01/28/2007 1:33:06 PM PST by restornu
There are a lot of skeletons in that place, and the dead occupy seats there.
Perhaps you should read the article carefully, you might have missed this...
"This enabled the developers to bypass a procedure that would have required a review of historic records of the site, field testing, and analysis to determine if historically important resources are present."
You might consider that New York City has certain additional requirements regarding historic sites and archaeological resources than the rest of New York State.
Phase 1 studies are not always triggered just by Section 106 requirements (public funding), they can also be triggered by more stringent local requirements which in many areas require privately funded projects in certain specific areas to undertake historic/archaeologic assesments of the project areas.
Also in urban archaeology the use of ground penetrating radar could have identified the presence of the underground anomoly (burial chamber). Use of GPR in Phase 1 studies is not unheard of on sites that may have significant cultural features buried below shovel testing depth.
"This enabled the developers to bypass a procedure that would have required a review of historic records of the site, field testing, and analysis to determine if historically important resources are present."
If accurate, I think your beef should be with Mayor Bloomberg, not Trump.
And the tale of the "as of right" pass by the city originates from a very questionable source, Andrew Berman, who seems dead set against the project, whatever its merits.
You might consider that New York City has certain additional requirements regarding historic sites and archaeological resources than the rest of New York State.
Maybe so. Can you cite some of them for me?
Phase 1 studies are not always triggered just by Section 106 requirements (public funding), they can also be triggered by more stringent local requirements which in many areas require privately funded projects in certain specific areas to undertake historic/archaeologic assesments of the project areas.
Very true. Can you cite the "more stringent local requirements" that apply in this case?
Also in urban archaeology the use of ground penetrating radar could have identified the presence of the underground anomoly (burial chamber). Use of GPR in Phase 1 studies is not unheard of on sites that may have significant cultural features buried below shovel testing depth.
In an urban (a.k.a. disturbed) setting GPR is hopeless. Take it from someone who has excavated many 2x2's WAY below OSHA rules (the cheap-assed CRM old-girl network loves to put their boys in the trenches way over their heads), it's worthless. You can, however, find some pretty big rocks that way!
Properly employed, GPR is a geat tool. It's great for finding where you should use the Gradall to look for grave shafts. But if you want to put a 2x2 over every place you find a GPR anomaly you'll never make it as a real world PI.
I suggest you place a very dry towel over the posterior of your very damp auditory flap if you want to make your living (other than a shovel bum) in CRM.
Actually I was a professional archaeologist for over a decade and worked on several projects in New York City including the African Burial Ground, City Hall Park, Ellis Island and Central Park. While I am not aware of every specific regulation regarding archaeology in New York City, I do know that I worked on at least one project in Richmond County (Staten Island), which was privately funded but was required to perform an archaeological assesment by virtue of a local regulation.
You might be interested to know that GPR is being used with much success in urban settings. What is required is a skilled, experienced operator.
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