Commission defers height law decision to September
The National Capital Planning Commission voted Thursday to approve preliminary site and building plans for President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, advancing the project past a key regulatory hurdle while deferring a decision on whether federal height limits apply to the structure.
The 8-1-3 vote came despite what the commission heard as overwhelming public opposition and left unresolved the question of whether the arch must comply with the Height of Buildings Act, a federal law that limits building heights. The commission’s staff report had recommended approval but suggested changes to bring the design into compliance with the law, including redistributing height among the main structure, the planned observation deck, and the statues topping the arch.
Commissioners, led by Chair Will Scharf, voted to continue deliberations on whether the law applies. Scharf said the Interior Department, which oversees the federal land where the arch would be built, had provided a legal analysis making a “compelling argument” that the law “is not binding on the federal government.” The staff report noted that the commission has long applied the Height of Buildings Act in its approval process.
The arch, rising 250 feet (76 meters), would be more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial, at 99 feet, and close to half the height of the Washington Monument, at about 555 feet. It would sit on a traffic circle at the Virginia end of Memorial Bridge, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a separate federal panel composed entirely of Trump appointees, approved the arch’s design in May.
Opponents told the commission the arch would disrupt the carefully designed view between the memorial and the cemetery, a landscape intended to symbolize national reunification after the Civil War. Concerns about vehicular traffic and pedestrian safety were also raised during the hearing. Some speakers opposed building a celebratory arch so close to Arlington National Cemetery, while others suggested it would be more appropriate near the Capitol and sporting venues.
Eight of the 12 commissioners voted for preliminary approval. One commissioner voted against, and three voted present. Scharf said a vote on final approval could come at the agency’s next meeting in September.
The development comes as crews continue construction at the White House on a $400 million ballroom Trump is building there. Trump has said the arch could be funded with unused money from private donations raised for the ballroom, but the White House has not released a cost estimate for the arch.