Planning commission says Trump-proposed 250-foot arch must be altered to meet height rules

The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) told officials on Thursday that the 250-foot Triumphal Arch proposed for the Memorial Circle would require structural revisions before it could receive final approval. The design includes a 166-foot mezzanine, a 24-foot observation level and a 60-foot statue of Lady Liberty, which exceeds the 130-foot limit set by the 1910 Height of Buildings Act that governs the city’s skyline.

The commission noted that, although the Department of the Interior has argued the act does not apply to federal buildings, the NCPC has historically applied the restriction to federal projects. It offered a compromise that would lower the mezzanine to 130 feet and the observation level to 20 feet, while allowing the statue to retain a total height of 100 feet, keeping the overall structure at 250 feet.

"My concern is not with commemoration itself, but with this specific proposal, its location, its scale, and its impact on a historic memorial landscape," said Gold Star mother Cynthia Morrison, who testified at the hearing.

"As a combat veteran, I feel a duty to protect the memory and honor the sacrifice of my comrades and all those buried there," added Vietnam veteran Michael Lemmon, a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the arch.

The NCPC also raised practical issues, including the need for revisions to pedestrian-accessibility plans, lighting design, and the potential visual clutter from 32 traffic poles and eight tall lighting stanchions. Recommendations from the Federal Aviation Administration must be incorporated, and a full aeronautical study is still pending. No final review date has been set, and federal officials have indicated an aggressive construction schedule that could involve 20-hour workdays over two years. The arch would be built of concrete with a granite finish, contrasting with many of the city’s stone monuments.