President Donald Trump's plan to construct a 250-foot (76-meter) triumphal arch that would alter the Washington, D.C., skyline is undergoing another review by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the federal agency responsible for approving such projects.

The NCPC is scheduled to meet Thursday to discuss the Republican president's proposal. According to a 185-page staff report, the commission's staff recommends approving the preliminary site and building plans but advises that the design be revised to comply with the Height of Buildings Act, a federal law that limits building heights in downtown Washington to preserve the city's iconic skyline.

“Staff suggests the Commission request the applicant revise the project design to comply with the Height of Buildings Act and return to NCPC for final approval,” the report states. Despite these recommended revisions, the arch, which includes a public observation deck and three gilded topper statues, would still reach Trump's desired height of 250 feet.

The staff also recommends that the commission seek additional information on vehicular traffic around the arch, the proposed granite exterior, and other project details before the Interior Department, which oversees the park service, grants final approval.

Opponents of the project argue that the arch is too large for the skyline and would disrupt carefully designed sightlines between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, which symbolize the reunification of the North and South after the Civil War.

Trump had previously stated that the arch could be financed using unused funds from the hundreds of millions of dollars he claimed to have raised from corporations, donors, and wealthy individuals to build a new $400 million ballroom at the White House.

Sources