Arlington Board Sues To Halt Trump Triumphal Arch Construction
Representing the Board, the advocacy group Democracy Forward, alongside the Arlington County attorney's office, labeled the proposal a“vanity project” that would be“massively intrusive and harmful.” The lawsuit specifically points to the arch's potential to“directly obstruct the line of sight between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery that was deliberately created to symbolize the nation's post-Civil War reunification.” It also raises concerns about its impact on emergency services and increases in noise and air pollution.
The Board is seeking a court order to halt any demolition or construction until a comprehensive environmental review is finalized. According to Democracy Forward, the National Capital Planning Commission's next meeting on November 5 could lead to the approval of construction. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum had previously announced on X in early September that excavation for the“Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck” would begin within a two-week period, though no groundbreaking has yet occurred. The planned site for the arch is Memorial Circle, at the end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
Defendants named in the lawsuit include Secretary Burgum, the National Park Service, and Jessica Bowron, the acting director of the NPS. The suit alleges that the administration has failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and downplayed the project's negative environmental and public safety consequences.
The lawsuit also warns that“Using the Arch to store large stockpiles of ammunition and as a staging point for drones and snipers, so close to commuters and tourists, will dramatically worsen these public-safety harms and the risk of accidents.”
We previously reported:The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has ended its consultation on former President Trump's Triumphal Arch Project, citing unresolved adverse effects.
Source: ARTnews
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