WASHINGTON: Workers began preliminary surveys and testing Monday of the proposed site of an Arc de Triomphe sought by President Donald Trump, the latest step in plans for the controversial project in the nation’s capital.
Workers were seen inspecting the site of the proposed arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery with tools and equipment. Part of the site was fenced off and the pink flags normally used as study marks were planted in the grass.
Work at the site was announced in court Thursday in a federal lawsuit challenging the proposed arch.
It consists of “geotechnical surveys and testing used to generate information that will assist the Defendant National Park Service (NPS) in meeting the procedural prerequisites” that are part of the decision-making process.
The proposed 250-foot-tall (76-meter) arch is one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing to make his lasting mark on Washington. With the potential to change the face of the city, it has already sparked opposition, including a lawsuit filed by a veterans group and a historian.
The design of the arch, proposed by Trump, has already received early approval from the American Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump.
The proposed monument is raised by four lions guarding its base on a torch held aloft by a Lady Liberty-like figure at the top, which would be flanked by two eagles – all gilded. The phrases “One nation under God” and “Liberty and justice for all” would be inscribed in gold letters on either side of the monument.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Public Civil Litigation Group representing the four plaintiffs.
The veterans group and a historian have sued in federal court to block construction on the grounds that the arch would disrupt sight lines between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery, among others.
The court filing on behalf of the Trump administration said the National Park Service had not issued a final agency action authorizing the construction of an arch, and if it did, it would give at least 14 days’ notice before starting any work.
The document said the plaintiffs had been given advance notice of the survey work and said the survey work did not constitute “construction, or demolition in preparation for construction, of an arch.”
Nicolas Sansone, a lawyer with the Public Civil Litigation Group that filed the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs, said the government taking preparatory steps to build the arch is confirmation that it intends to move forward.
“However, unless and until Congress passes a law authorizing the bow, the project is illegal and the government has no valid basis to pursue it,” Sansone added.
