Street and utility construction has resumed at the Alder Top Village (Keishangita.’aan) subdivision after a three-week pause, though work remains halted in the area where a shell midden — a buried mound of discarded seafood shells — was found in August.

Borough crews have cordoned off the midden within a 100-foot diameter, and a separate area where workers uncovered old cement footings has also been blocked off, officials said.

Such middens—deposits of discarded shells—are an indication of past human activity.

The State Historic Preservation Office has required the borough, which owns the land, to develop a plan outlining further cultural investigations, analysis and reporting related to the midden, Capital Projects Director Amber Al-Haddad said.

The project archaeologist is drafting the plan, which will be reviewed by consulting parties including WCA, the State Historic Preservation Office and the Denali Commission.

“Work cannot proceed through the shell midden area until the work from an approved treatment plan is complete,” Al-Haddad said.

“The (streets and utilities) contractor is reviewing their schedule to determine impacts associated with the three-week shutdown,” and further investigations could create additional delays, though it is not yet clear what those might be, she said.

Borough Manager Mason Villarma said the shell midden appears to be “historically significant, not culturally significant.”

Al-Haddad said the rest of the work is moving forward: “The remainder of the sewer line, all of the water line, and all of the electric, data (lines)… essentially all of the rest of the project.” Only a portion of the sewer line is designed to run through the midden area, she said.

The work is to prepare the site for sale and development of 20 residential lots. The cost of clearing the land, adding streets and buried utilities will exceed $4 million, with the borough hoping to recover a portion of the expenses in the online auction of the parcels.

Bidding closes Oct. 31 at publicsurplus.com.

Most of the money for the subdivision development came from borough funds. Funding from the Denali Commission for the Alder Top utilities project — $300,000 — remains available, according to the borough. Officials had been concerned the funds could be delayed if a new consultation were required under the National Historic Preservation Act. The federally funded commission, however, has determined the borough remains in compliance based on a previous review and ongoing consultation, avoiding a new 30- to 60-day process.