National Park Service report backs Trump’s proposed memorial arch despite sightline concerns
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A National Park Service study concluded that the planned 250-foot memorial arch can proceed at its intended location, even though it would affect sightlines linking several Washington monuments.
The National Park Service released a 133-page report on Friday that supports President Donald Trump’s plan to build a 250-foot (76-meter) memorial arch near the Memorial Bridge. The agency acknowledged that the structure would disrupt visual connections between a number of historic sites, including the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and Arlington House, but concluded that the location remains historically appropriate.
The report states that the “same characteristics that make Memorial Circle sensitive from a preservation perspective are also the characteristics that make it the historically appropriate location for the undertaking.” It adds that relocating the arch or removing its commemorative feature would defeat the project’s purpose, and that “alternative locations outside Memorial Circle are not reasonable avoidance alternatives.”
The findings are expected to bolster the administration’s defense against a lawsuit filed by three veterans and an architectural historian who argue the project should be decided by Congress. > Nicolas Sansone, an attorney with Public Citizen Litigation Group representing the plaintiffs, said the report “confirms what we’ve been saying all along: the project will have an enormous impact and transform the National Mall.”
The arch is part of a broader set of initiatives the president has proposed for the capital, which also include changes to the Kennedy Center, a new White House ballroom, refurbishment of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and alterations to a golf course in East Potomac Park that could affect public recreation paths.