President Donald Trump's proposal for a 250-foot triumphal arch in the nation's capital is undergoing another review by the federal commission responsible for its approval. The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is set to consider the project, but commission staff have recommended design modifications to ensure compliance with a federal law that limits building heights in downtown Washington.
In a report, the NCPC staff recommended that the commission approve preliminary site and building plans for the arch. However, they also advised that the design be altered to adhere to the Height of Buildings Act, which is intended to preserve the city's skyline. The staff report states that applying the law "would require design revisions to redistribute the height between the main structure, habitable roof structure and statuary." Even with these revisions, the arch, an observation deck, and three gilded statues would still reach Trump's target height of 250 feet.
Further information has been requested by the staff regarding vehicular traffic around the proposed site, the granite exterior, and other project details before the Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, grants final approval. Trump envisions the arch situated on a traffic circle on the Virginia side of the Memorial Bridge.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a separate federal agency, previously approved the arch's design in May. The NCPC began its review in June, overseeing construction on federal land within the city.
Critics of the project have argued that the arch's scale would disrupt the carefully preserved sightlines between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, views intended to symbolize national reunification. Despite opposition, the project has seen support from members of both commissions, including Trump's appointees.
Will Scharf, identified as a top White House aide, leads the planning commission. Separately, a group of veterans and a historian have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to halt the arch's construction due to concerns about the visual disruption.
For scale, the proposed arch would be more than double the height of the Lincoln Memorial, which stands at 99 feet, and nearly half the height of the Washington Monument, which measures approximately 555 feet.
Last year, Trump indicated that the arch could be funded through unused money from corporate and donor contributions raised for a new $400 million White House ballroom. However, it has since emerged that public funds will also be allocated to both the ballroom and the arch project, for which a cost estimate has not yet been released.