ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

NCPC Advances Trump's Triumphal Arch Plan Despite Public Outcry

architecture-design · 2026-05-22

The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) voted 9-1 on June 4 to advance conceptual plans for President Donald Trump's proposed triumphal arch in Washington, DC, following an emotional public hearing. Chair William Scharf, a White House staff secretary and former Trump legal team member, argued the 1910 Height of Buildings Act (130ft limit) does not apply to federal projects, citing the 1932 Masonic Temple and National Archives Building as precedents. Commissioner Evan Cash, the sole dissenter, questioned this legal reasoning. Nearly 1,700 public comments were submitted, the vast majority negative. Veterans, preservationists, and former CIA analyst Holly Berkley Fletcher spoke against the arch's location on Memorial Circle near Arlington National Cemetery. Architect David Parker noted the arch's 170ft width and 90ft depth would dwarf unbuilt 1930s columns. The next meeting is scheduled for July 1.

Key facts

  • NCPC voted 9-1 on June 4 to advance Trump's triumphal arch proposal.
  • Chair William Scharf argued the 1910 Height of Buildings Act does not apply to federal projects.
  • Nearly 1,700 public comments were submitted, mostly negative.
  • Veterans and preservationists spoke against the arch's location on Memorial Circle.
  • Architect David Parker compared the arch's size to unbuilt 1930s columns.
  • Commissioner Evan Cash was the only vote against advancing the plan.
  • The next NCPC meeting is scheduled for July 1.
  • The Department of the Interior oversees the project, stating it is not a memorial.

Entities

Artists

  • Rodney Mims Cook, Jr.
  • Mary Anne Carter
  • Nicolas Charbonneau
  • James McCrery
  • Susan Douglas
  • Gary Langston
  • John Ayers
  • Daniel Burnham
  • Charles F. McKim
  • Frederick Law Olmsted Jr
  • Augustus Saint Gaudens
  • Sabin Howard
  • Calder Loth

Institutions

  • National Capital Planning Commission
  • White House
  • Arlington National Cemetery
  • Department of the Interior
  • National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission
  • US Commission of Fine Arts
  • Congress
  • National Endowment for the Arts
  • Harrison Design
  • National Trust for Historic Preservation
  • DC Preservation League
  • Cultural Landscape Foundation
  • McMillan Commission
  • Federal Aviation Administration
  • Lincoln Memorial
  • Memorial Bridge
  • Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
  • The Art Newspaper
  • Capitol Preservation Board
  • Capitol Hill Neighborhood Council
  • Utah Department of Transportation
  • The Salt Lake City Tribune
  • National Park Service
  • Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

Locations

  • Washington, DC
  • United States
  • Memorial Circle
  • Arlington National Cemetery
  • Mar-a-Lago
  • Kenya
  • Potomac River
  • Memorial Bridge
  • Arlington House
  • Anacostia River
  • Salt Lake City
  • Utah
  • Utah State Capitol
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Arlington, Virginia
  • Lincoln Memorial
  • Robert E. Lee's house
  • Washington Monument
  • Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Grove
  • Thomas Jefferson Memorial
  • Georgetown Historic District
  • Francis Scott Key Bridge
  • White House East Wing Ballroom
  • Eisenhower Executive Office Building
  • Great American State Fair

Sources