Park Service admits Trump's 250-foot arch will alter historic views, greenlights it anyway

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot Triumphal Arch has cleared a key federal preservation review, even as the National Park Service acknowledged that the project would have “adverse effects” on historic properties and sightlines surrounding some of the nation’s best-known monuments. 

In a report published Friday, August 28, the agency backed the arch’s proposed location at Memorial Circle near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, saying the project would continue a historic planning vision for a monumental gateway.

The structure is intended to commemorate 250 years of American independence, but its scale and impact on Washington’s landscape have already drawn criticism from lawmakers, conservationists and veterans.

Federal review finds adverse effects

The National Park Service identified effects on dozens of historic properties, including the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument.

The concerns center on changes to views and the skyline rather than physical damage to the landmarks themselves.

Federal agencies are required under the National Historic Preservation Act to consider how major projects could affect historic properties.

The park service concluded that the proposed arch would alter the visual setting around Memorial Circle and nearby landmarks but did not recommend abandoning the project.

Why the park service backed it

The agency said Memorial Circle has a historical connection to planning concepts for a monumental gateway near Arlington National Cemetery, providing a rationale for placing the arch there.

Alternative sites could reduce some of the identified effects, the report said, but moving the project would separate it from that planning precedent.

The National Park Service also considered smaller versions of the structure.

According to the agency, a shorter arch could more completely block a key historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

The proposed design, by contrast, would allow part of that view to remain visible through its central opening.

At roughly 250 feet, however, the planned structure would stand more than twice as tall as the Lincoln Memorial.

Americans weigh in on changing views

The proposal generated substantial public interest during the federal consultation process.

The park service said it received more than 100,000 comments during an initial consultation period in June, followed by another 6,254 comments after the process reopened in July. 

Trump first proposed the Triumphal Arch last year, adding it to a broader effort to leave a visible mark on the nation's capital amid the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations.