Trump Arch Expected to Harm Dozens of Historic Sites

The National Park Service acknowledges that President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch at Memorial Circle would adversely affect Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial and other historic properties by altering important views, settings and landscapes. In a memorandum circulated to preservation and planning agencies, the agency says those effects “cannot be fully avoided” because the location is central to the project, while the administration plans to proceed. Proposed mitigation measures include controlling construction noise, lighting, dust and vibration; coordinating work around funerals and commemorative events; conducting archaeological studies; preserving pedestrian access; rehabilitating the surrounding landscape; documenting existing views; and creating signs, exhibits and webpages. Preservationists and Vietnam War veterans oppose the project, arguing it would damage a symbolic Civil War-era sightline, disrupt the cemetery and may require congressional authorization; veterans have asked a federal judge to halt excavation, while opponents have sued to block construction. Officials are seeking preservation groups’ approval of an agreement required under the National Historic Preservation Act and hope to advance the project to the National Capital Planning Commission for final approval as early as November.