Final plans for 250-foot triumphal arch omit Trump’s idea for military complex

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/File

The Trump administration on Friday released final plans for its proposed 250-foot triumphal arch, notably excluding key features of a military complex including drones and snipers that President Donald Trump used as justification for the controversial project.

In the new documents, made public by the federal National Capital Planning Commission, the contours of the arch do not appear to reflect a national security purpose. Instead, the plans submitted describe the project as a “ceremonial gateway” to the nation’s capital.

Trump announced in September that the arch that would sit directly across Arlington National Cemetery would store large numbers of drones and function as a post for military snipers, with a large cache of ammunition.

The proposed arch is among several projects Trump is pursuing in an effort to remake the nation’s capital in his image, prompting legal battles from preservationists and others. The idea of the arch being needed for national security purposes mirrors an argument Trump has made for building a White House ballroom where the East Wing once stood.

The proposed arch would sit squarely in a traffic circle connecting Washington DC to Virginia, with an observation deck offering views of Arlington National Cemetery. Veterans suing to stop its construction argue that the towering structure would break the solemnity of funerals at the cemetery, while preservations argue it would disrupt the sightline of the row of national landmarks that includes the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington House and the Robert E. Lee Memorial.

While the plans submitted Friday don’t include the military components Trump described, the structure still might feature them.

An Interior Department spokesperson told CNN on Saturday that the current design of the triumphal arch is capable of accommodating the national security functions Trump highlighted in a social media post . The agency spokesperson said the structure will “enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike.”

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, a little-known independent federal agency within the executive branch, conducted a private call last week on the matter. The agency said that an analysis on the use of the arch as a military asset would be considered separately from construction plans that had already been making their way through a historical review and approval process, according to two sources close to the matter.

An evaluation on the historical impact of using the arch as a military complex would have to come at the request of the Department of Defense, which has yet to submit a request to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

This dual track — approving the arch construction plans and the separate intent to use it as a military complex — sidesteps questions over whether the arch would need to be reviewed and approved by key commissions all over again.

The Pentagon referred CNN to the White House for comment, who has not responded to CNN’s inquiry.

Finn Gomez/Getty Images

The plans without the complex have been approved by the Commission of Fine Arts and have received preliminary approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, the two key federal agencies that oversee architecture and design changes in DC

The plans without the complex have been approved by the Commission of Fine Arts and they have a preliminary green light from the National Capital Planning Commission the two key federal agencies which oversee architecture and design changes in DC.

The National Capital Planning Commission has not given final go-ahead for the project but the administration is eyeing November’s meeting for approval.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/文件

特朗普政府周五公布了拟建的 250 英尺凯旋门的最终计划，值得注意的是，该计划排除了军事综合体的关键特征，包括无人机和狙击手，而唐纳德·特朗普总统曾用这些特征作为该争议项目的理由。

根据联邦国家首都规划委员会公布的新文件，拱门的轮廓似乎并未体现国家安全目的。相反，提交的规划方案将该项目描述为通往国家首都的“礼仪性门户”。

特朗普在 9 月份宣布，将建在阿灵顿国家公墓正对面的拱门将用于存放大量无人机，并作为军事狙击手的哨所，同时储存大量弹药。

拟建的拱门是特朗普为按照自己的意愿改造首都华盛顿而推行的多个项目之一，引发了文物保护人士和其他人士的法律诉讼。拱门是出于国家安全目的而建造的说法，与特朗普此前为在原东翼旧址上建造白宫宴会厅提出的论点如出一辙。

拟建的拱门将位于连接华盛顿特区和弗吉尼亚州的环岛路口，其观景台可俯瞰阿灵顿国家公墓。一些退伍军人提起诉讼，试图阻止拱门的建设，他们认为这座高耸的建筑会破坏公墓葬礼的庄严肃穆；而文物保护人士则认为，拱门会遮挡包括林肯纪念堂、阿灵顿故居和罗伯特·E·李纪念碑在内的一系列国家地标的视线。

虽然周五提交的计划中没有包含特朗普所描述的军事部件，但该建筑仍然可能包含这些部件。

美国内政部发言人周六告诉CNN，凯旋门目前的设计能够满足特朗普在社交媒体上强调的国家安全功能。该发言人表示，这座建筑将“提升退伍军人、阵亡将士家属以及所有美国民众在阿灵顿国家公墓的参观体验”。

鲜为人知的独立联邦机构——历史保护咨询委员会（隶属于行政部门）上周就此事举行了一次非公开会议。据两位知情人士透露，该机构表示，将对拱门作为军事资产的用途进行分析，而此前已有建筑方案正在进行历史审查和审批程序。

要对将拱门用作军事设施的历史影响进行评估，必须由国防部提出请求，而国防部尚未向历史保护咨询委员会提出请求。

这种双轨制——批准拱门建造计划和将其用作军事设施的单独意图——回避了拱门是否需要再次由关键委员会审查和批准的问题。

五角大楼建议 CNN 向白宫寻求置评，但白宫尚未回应 CNN 的询问。

Finn Gomez/Getty Images

不包含该建筑群的方案已获得美术委员会的批准，并已获得国家首都规划委员会的初步批准。这两个联邦机构是负责监督华盛顿特区建筑和设计变更的关键机构。

不包含该建筑群的方案已获得美术委员会的批准，并已获得国家首都规划委员会的初步批准。这两个关键的联邦机构负责监督华盛顿特区的建筑和设计变更。

国家首都规划委员会尚未最终批准该项目，但政府正着眼于11月的会议以获得批准。