Planning commission seeks more details on Trump’s planned 250-foot arch near the Lincoln Memorial
Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your
Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share The Capital Planning Commission has kept alive the triumphal arch that President Donald Trump wants built at an entrance to the nation’s capital, requesting more information on how it could potentially impact air travel navigation in the area, as well as other specifics on construction and traffic in the area. Most members of the federal agency that approves construction on federal land voted in favor Thursday of seeking more information from the Department of the Interior, which submitted the application for the 250-foot arch planned between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Cemetery. The vote came after nearly three hours of public comment from about 20 members of the public, some representing historic and architectural organizations, and most of whom expressed concerns about the arch that is one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave his imprint on Washington. Preliminary surveys and testing of the arch site began last month, and other approvals are underway. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts — which only oversees designs and has no role in the actual construction or funding of the arch or any other project it considers — has approved the arch’s design, a key step in the project’s process but one that has no immediate bearing on the construction timeline. For now, the Capital Planning Commission is seeking more information justifying the proposed height of the towering arch, as well as additional details about lighting, management of storm water and how traffic and parking would be regulated for visitors. Read More Will Scharf, who has served as Trump’s White House staff secretary, heads the commission and acknowledged the applicant “has some homework to do,” Scharf said, suggesting more information on how it would appear from other monuments in the Washington area.
But, Scharf said ultimately, this year’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence “is as good an opportunity as any to add something to Washington, D.C., that will hopefully stand the test of time. Stuart Levenbach, Trump appointee and commission vice chairman, said the proposed site represented “one of the few locations” in the area where such an “iconic civic monument could be appropriate,” although he added that “it’s reasonable to consider whether a significant architectural statement belongs in such a location.” Commission received 1,700 public comments, most opposing the arch Many of those contacting the commission about the arch ahead of Thursday’s meeting voiced concerns about its massive scale, obstruction of the city’s skyline, and safety in the heavily trafficked area. Some of the comments called it a “waste of taxpayer money,” while others said it was Trump’s “vanity project” or a “disgusting and disrespectful move by a man who wants to be king.” Dozens of people were signed up to speak during Thursday’s meeting, many of whom have spoken against the project at previous meetings, and represented organizations like the Parks Conservation Association, Trust for Historic Preservation and the Society of Architectural Historians. Several, including Gary Langston, a military veteran, opposed the arch on grounds that it is too big, needed congressional approval or would disrupt the sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House at Arlington Cemetery that was created to symbolize reunification after the Civil War. “What’s required here, if anything, is a solemn memorial rather than a monument,” Langston said. Trump has asserted that he doesn’t need congressional approval because he’s building it on federal land. Suggestions on the arch design The arch would stand 250 feet tall (76 meters) from its base to a torch held aloft by a Lady Liberty-like figure on top of the structure, flanked by two gilded eagles.
The BriefWire