By admin 
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.”
Read more Abdul El-Sayed disavows Muslim Brotherhood and criticizes implications that he has ‘dual loyalty’
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.
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 National Capital Planning Commission has not given final go-ahead for the project but the administration is eyeing November’s meeting for approval.
Read more Astronomers say they’ve discovered the first green star