Trump Administration Fast-Tracks 250-Foot D.C. Arch as Nov. 5 Construction Nears Despite Lawsuits
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Oct 22
Trump Administration Fast-Tracks 250-Foot D.C. Arch as Nov. 5 Construction Nears Despite Lawsuits
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Oct 22
Summary
Early November construction could start the same day the National Capital Planning Commission meets on Nov. 5, under a court filing that sharply accelerates the contested project.
The Justice Department said work would begin if the commission approves the 250-foot monument and the Interior Department and National Park Service grant same-day authorization.
Vietnam veterans and a Virginia county are suing to stop the arch, arguing the site is protected by federal law, needs congressional approval and has skipped required environmental review.
The administration argues a 1925 congressional plan for two columns at the site gives it authority, even as critics say the rush would bypass roughly 100,000 negative public comments.
The push fits Trump's broader Washington remaking campaign, which has already triggered court fights over the East Wing demolition and plans affecting more than 400 trees in East Potomac Park.
What happens when a proposed 250-foot monument clashes with strict federal height limits and historic sightlines in the nation's capital?
Will preliminary archaeological digging near the Lincoln Memorial irreversibly alter Washington's historic skyline before federal courts can intervene?