Construction on President Donald Trump’s planned Triumphal Arch could begin in early November, the [URL='https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/department-of-justice/']Justice Department[/URL] told the federal district court in the District of Columbia in a filing this week.
The National Capital Planning Commission is set to hold a final approval vote on Nov. 5 on the 250-feet-tall structure planned for Memorial Circle between the Arlington Memorial Bridge and the Arlington National Cemetery. DOJ lawyers say construction could begin as early as Nov. 5 if the commission approves the project.
“In the event the NCPC approves the Proposal at the November 5 meeting and the Department of Interior thereafter issues a final decision authorizing construction of the Proposal, construction or demolition in preparation for construction of an arch on Memorial Circle could commence immediately,” DOJ lawyers wrote in the filing.
The National Park Service would have to issue an official notice of authorization on its website before construction begins, the lawyers added.
The filing comes as several lawsuits over the arch remain active. A group of veterans first filed the lawsuit against the structure back in February, arguing the large arch and the golden, winged statue at the top would disrupt the “solemn, unobstructed view” between the military cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.
Obama-nominated Judge Tanya Sue Chutkan is weighing the veterans’ case against the Trump administration. She previously ordered that the administration must notify the court 48 hours before making any preparations for the construction of the arch.
Arlington County, Virginia, which does not own the Memorial Circle, but owns much of the surrounding infrastructure, also sued the Trump administration in early October to block the project in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Virginia County board argues that NPS improperly relied on an Environmental Assessment instead of a more thorough Environmental Impact Statement when assessing the arch.
Despite the ongoing litigation, the Trump administration told Chutkan that they could begin construction “as early as November 5” in this week’s filing.
TRUMP ARCH COULD TAKE UP TO THREE YEARS AND 20 HOURS OF CONSTRUCTION PER DAY
The National Capital Planning Commission, which, per the Trump administration’s filing, holds the last hurdle to their plans to move forward with the arch, has several Trump allies and appointees on it. Trump appointed the board chairman Mark Paoletta, vice chairman Stuart Levenbach, and commissioner James Blair. War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Rep. James Comer (R-KY), all Trump allies, each serve as ex officio members on the 12-member board.
Several Democrats also raised concerns about the possibility of the arch obstructing air traffic around Washington, but the Federal Aviation Administration cleared the arch in September.
Continue reading...
[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
