Kathrine Frich
The groups fighting the plan say the chosen location is completely off limits.
Cities often battle over the little patches of green space that give people room to breathe.
Now, that familiar fight is heading to the highest levels of government. A sweeping plan for a massive new monument has collided with strict preservation laws.
A giant garden plan
According to the National Parks Traveler, a group of organizations filed a lawsuit on Monday to block President Donald Trump from building a sprawling monument in Washington. The project is officially called the National Garden of American Heroes.
Trump wants to install 250 giant statues of historical figures, including George Washington and Frederick Douglass. The garden is meant to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Congress approved 40 million dollars for the project last July.
The lawsuit claims the president views the area as empty land ready for development. The legal filing states that Trump described West Potomac Park as “a totally BARREN field of Prime Waterfront Real Estate”.
Laws protect the park
The groups fighting the plan say the chosen location is completely off limits. The law is settled. They point to a mandate from 1897 that reserved the area specifically for public recreation.
They note that a 2003 law explicitly banned any new commemorative works or visitor centers in West Potomac Park. The massive coalition includes the National Parks Conservation Association and the DC Preservation League.
Their court filing did not hold back. The groups wrote, “The West Potomac Plan is unlawful. Congress has made clear that the National Mall is a ‘substantially completed work of civic art’, not a personal sandbox for each President to renovate however he likes.”
Pushing back on changes
The plaintiffs accuse the current administration of ignoring established rules to alter the capital. Behind closed doors, officials have repeatedly shut the public out of major planning decisions, the lawsuit argues.
In their complaint, the organizations said the president is trying to “take over public spaces for himself and remake our nation’s capital in his own image”.
Tiernan Sittenfeld leads the National Parks Conservation Association. She explained the need for court action to protect spaces that people rely on for reflection.
“Our parks are held in trust for every American and for generations to come,” Sittenfeld said. She added that Congress created clear rules to safeguard the National Mall from new construction, keeping it open to everyone.
Sources: National Parks Traveler
