NCPC Votes to Seek More Information on Proposed 250-Foot Patriotic Arch, Despite Leadership Support for 250th Anniversary Monument

The National Capital Planning Commission voted June 4 to seek more information from the Department of the Interior on a proposed 250-foot arch planned between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The vote followed a nearly three-hour meeting that included public comment from about 20 people. Most commission members supported the request for additional details.

The commission asked for justification of the arch’s height, information on lighting, storm-water management, and plans for regulating traffic and parking. Preliminary surveys and testing at the site began in May.

U.S. Commission of Fine Arts has already approved the design. The National Capital Planning Commission is the next federal body whose approval is required for construction on federal land. ” The commission has received 1,700 public comments, most opposing the project.

Concerns cited include the structure’s scale, obstruction of views, and safety in a heavily trafficked area. The arch would rise 250 feet from base to a torch held by a Lady Liberty-like figure, flanked by two gilded eagles. Four lions once planned to guard the base have been removed.

Inscriptions of “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” would appear in gold lettering, and both east- and west-facing sides would carry the text of the Pledge of Allegiance. A public observation deck would offer 360-degree views, and the exterior would be granite.

The structure would be more than twice the height of the 99-foot Lincoln Memorial and roughly half the height of the 555-foot Washington Monument.