President Donald Trump’s ambitious proposal to construct a towering 250-foot arch in the nation’s capital moved one step closer to becoming reality Thursday after winning preliminary approval from a key federal planning commission, although officials postponed a decision on whether longstanding federal height restrictions apply to the project.

The National Capital Planning Commission voted to approve the initial site and design plans for the massive structure, which Trump wants built at the traffic circle on the Virginia side of Memorial Bridge entering Washington, D.C.

The vote marks another milestone for one of several high-profile projects Trump is pursuing as part of his effort to reshape the appearance of the nation’s capital.

Commission staff had recommended granting preliminary approval while requiring a number of design modifications to ensure compliance with the federal Height of Buildings Act. Among the proposed revisions were adjustments to the height distribution of the arch itself, the observation deck planned within the structure, and the statues that would sit atop the monument.

Instead, commissioners—led by Chairman Will Scharf—opted to delay deciding whether the Height of Buildings Act even governs the proposed project.

According to the commission’s staff report, the agency has historically applied the law when reviewing projects of this nature. Scharf, however, said the Interior Department, which submitted the application and oversees the federal land where the arch would be built, had provided a legal opinion making what he called a “compelling argument” that the law “is not binding on the federal government.”

“My view is that, today, we are just considering this project for preliminary approval and that, as a result, it’s not necessary for us to take up this broader issue of the applicability of the Height of Buildings Act to federal construction until our next meeting at the earliest,” Scharf said.

The preliminary approval passed with the support of eight of the commission’s 12 members, including Scharf and two other Trump appointees. One commissioner voted against the proposal, while the remaining three voted present.

“This is a complex project,” Scharf said before the vote. He added that commissioners could consider final approval as soon as their next scheduled meeting in September.

Before casting their votes, all 12 commissioners reviewed a summary of the staff’s recommendations and listened to testimony from dozens of members of the public who signed up to comment on the proposal.

The commission’s deliberations took place as work continued on another major Trump construction project at the White House, where crews are building a new $400 million ballroom while additional workers covered stone columns at the mansion’s north entrance as part of an ongoing restoration project involving the removal of old paint.

Several speakers urged the commission to reject the proposed arch, arguing that a celebratory monument should not be constructed so close to Arlington National Cemetery. Others suggested a location nearer the Capitol or Washington’s sports and entertainment district would be more appropriate.

Among those opposing the project was Michael Lemmon, one of three Vietnam veterans and an architectural historian who have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block construction at Memorial Circle. Lemmon argued that the monument would diminish the dignity of Arlington National Cemetery, while Trump has said the arch is intended to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary.

“As a combat veteran, I feel a duty to protect the memory and honor the sacrifice of my comrades and all those buried there,” Lemmon said. “This vainglorious monumental arch does neither.”

Other opponents pointed out that memorials honoring Vietnam veterans, World War II veterans, and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. underwent years of public discussion before being approved, and they urged the commission to move more cautiously before advancing Trump’s proposal.

Critics also argued that the sheer size of the monument would disrupt the carefully planned visual corridor connecting the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery—a view long intended to symbolize national reconciliation following the Civil War.

If completed, the arch would stand more than twice as tall as the 99-foot Lincoln Memorial and rise to nearly half the height of the 555-foot Washington Monument.

During Thursday’s hearing, opponents also raised concerns about traffic congestion and pedestrian safety surrounding the proposed site, while others maintained that congressional approval should be required before construction can proceed—a position that Trump disputes.

The proposal has already received approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which signed off on the design in May. The National Capital Planning Commission, which oversees construction projects on federal property in Washington, first began reviewing the proposal in June.

{Matzav.com}