By Fatma Younis
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Monday ordered the Trump administration to notify her within an hour of any decision by the National Capital Planning Commission, the National Park Service, or the Department of the Interior regarding a planned memorial arch in Washington.
Administration timeline challenged
The order comes as the administration aims to begin construction as early as Nov. 5, pending commission approval. The government notified the court on Oct. 28 of its timeline, stating that construction could commence the same day the commission approves the project.
Chutkan also required notification within 30 minutes of any activity related to or in preparation for construction on Memorial Circle, warning that any work before final agency authorization or without 14 days' notice would violate previous court orders.
Legal challenges mount
The ruling is the latest in a flurry of legal actions. Three Vietnam veterans and an architectural historian filed a lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction. The District of Columbia and Virginia filed a separate suit opposing construction and seeking a temporary restraining order. Chutkan consolidated the cases and set a joint briefing schedule.
Arch design details
The administration submitted a 106-page plan on Friday envisioning a structure more than 12 stories high, featuring a bronze statue of Lady Liberty with wings, an observation deck, occupied roof, mezzanines, and interior spaces including offices, a staff lounge, and a fire command center. The plan also proposes significant traffic changes.
Administration officials have said the arch will serve a national security function.
