Federal panel clears Trump arch design
A split vote by the National Capital Planning Commission approved the 250-foot monument near Arlington National Cemetery while legal challenges continue.
By Anthony Foster ·
The National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 on Thursday to approve the design for a 250-foot memorial arch near downtown Washington, D.C.
The final decision follows a remote hearing that lasted 9.5 hours and experienced multiple technical failures. The vote cleared a major regulatory hurdle for the project, which President Donald Trump has championed as part of his plan to reshape the capital's skyline.
Administration officials stated that construction could begin within one day of the approval. The commission’s vote split along political lines, with federal appointees supporting the project and local representatives from Washington, D.C., opposing it.
Mark Paoletta, the commission’s chairman and White House Office of Management and Budget general counsel, defended the monument as a display of national identity. "President Trump understands as president and a superb builder that it’s important to our national identity to display who we are through grand monuments," Paoletta said.
Opponents argued the arch would disrupt the view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Phil Mendelson, a D.C. City Council member on the panel, said the project lacks required congressional approval and funding. "We cannot approve final site and building plans until we have the final site and building plans," Mendelson said.
Three lawsuits currently challenge the arch’s construction. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered the administration to notify her of the commission's decision within an hour. A Justice Department attorney told the judge that a contractor performed site preparation work on Oct. 31 without authorization from the National Park Service.
The proposed structure is 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty without its pedestal. The 106-page plan submitted last week includes a bronze statue of Lady Liberty, an observation deck, and multiple floors of offices and program space.
Julius Spain, an Arlington County board member and Iraq War veteran, told a small group of protesters at the proposed site that the moment was a civil rights issue. "I’ve seen combat. I was prepared to give my life in defense of a grateful nation," Spain said.
