President Donald Trump's proposed "Triumphal Arch" near the entrance of Arlington National Cemetery would have "adverse effects" on dozens of other historic monuments and structures across the Washington skyline, according to an assessment done by the National Parks Service.
"An adverse effect is found when an undertaking may alter, directly or indirectly, any of the characteristics of a historic property that qualify the property for inclusion in the National Register in a manner that would diminish the integrity of the property’s location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, or association," the assessment stated.
RELATED STORY | FAA reviewing Trump’s plan for 250-foot arch near Reagan National
Among the most impacted by the proposed 250-foot arch would be the Arlington National Cemetery Historic District, the Robert E. Lee Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall Site.
In total, the assessment identified nearly 40 sites that would be affected, as identified in the diagram below — including the Washington Monument, George Mason Memorial, and "potentially the Pentagon, where the undertaking would alter contributing views, settings, or designed relationships," the agency stated.
The assessment was completed by the National Parks Service as required by law, defined as a Section 106 review, for it to move forward with final approval from the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) — a board that is made up of President Trump's appointed allies.
As part of the review, the National Parks Service weighed potential solutions to minimize the adverse effects on other historical landmarks, including what a smaller arch would entail.
RELATED STORY | Trump's 'triumphal arch' moves forward, losing gold lions and height
The review found that a smaller arch design would actually be worse, as it would fully obstruct the view, instead of framing it the way the proposed arch does through its central opening.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts gave the go-ahead on the design for the triumphal arch back in May with a few edits to the original proposal, while the NCPC approved preliminary plans for the arch during a meeting last month.
There is no given timeline for the project.
