A new report from the National Park Service supports Donald Trump’s proposed 250ft-tall (76-meter) memorial arch, despite acknowledging that it will have adverse effects on the sightlines of numerous Washington DC landmarks. The report, released on Friday, states the arch is likely to disrupt the historical significance of dozens of sites near its planned location adjacent to the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
The report indicates that the arch would disturb more Washington landmarks than initially anticipated. It specifically cites that the arch would break the alignment among the Lincoln Memorial, Memorial Bridge, and Arlington House, an alignment intended to symbolically unite North and South.
Despite these concerns, the Park Service report argues that the characteristics making Memorial Circle sensitive from a preservation perspective also make it the historically appropriate location for the project. It suggests that alternative locations would not meet the undertaking's purpose.
The 133-page report could bolster the administration's case against a legal challenge filed by three veterans and a group of historians. Nicolas Sansone, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, stated that the report confirms the project's significant impact and transformation of the National Mall.