STATEMENT BY THE NATIONAL COALITION TO SAVE OUR MALL
ON THE PARK SERVICE'S WASHINGTON MONUMENT SECURITY PROJECT - LANDSCAPE DESIGN
AT THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL PLANNING COMMISSION
June 5, 2003
We would like to begin by asking Commissioner John Parsons representing the Park Service to recuse himself from voting on this Park Service project. You will recall that his vote has been the deciding vote in favor in the past. In addition, during previous reviews of this project he has taken an active and vocal role in influencing commissioners by dismissing or contesting public testimony and concerns. There is clearly the appearance of conflict of interest.
I have heard it said, by Park Service representatives and by members and staff of this commission, that the Park Service "owns" the National Mall. This is false. The Park Service is steward of the Mall, required under its authorizing legislation, the Organic Act, to preserve public parks "unimpaired" for future generations. The NCPC's responsibility is not to rubber stamp what the Park Service wants, but to carefully scrutinize it to ensure that Park Service projects serve that public interest.
We also wish to point out that there is increasing national media interest in the Mall: the LA Times devoted two full pages in its Sunday, April 20, edition, and on Memorial Day the NBC Nightly News did a feature about Mall's dwindling open space.
Today the Coalition urges commissioners to take NO action on the final site and design plans for the Landscape at this time, for four reasons:
1. The Section 106 process is not yet completed. Recently NCPC requested and received from NPS two alternative designs to the Lodge addition. But so far NPS has refused the Coalition's and others' request to review alternatives to the tunnel and wall location.
2. The plan you are considering today is misleading and incomplete. It shows only selected parts of the landscape design. There are no views that clearly show how the walls will look on the grassy area. There is no information about the location of emergency exits and air shafts for the tunnel which will have to open onto the open landscape.
3. The NPS is designing this security project piecemeal and should not be seeking final approval until the entire design is complete. Pretty trees in the landscape design distract from the serious review of the total design - the tunnel and walls intended to stop terrorists.
4. Most serious, contrary to what NPS wrote to Chairman Cogbill, and before that to Lisa Burcham, the DC State Historic Preservation Officer, consulting parties have not yet had the opportunity to discuss the design's conformance with Secretary's Standards. I'd be happy to explain this, with facts of the 106 meetings. (At the April meeting, NPS gave us booklets explaining Secretary's Standards so we could prepare comments for the future. At that time, Ms. Blumenthal and Commissioner Parsons refused to comment about the project's conformance with the Standards, stating that it was up to Concurring Parties. We understood that the discussion would occur at a future meeting. However, before that could happen, NPS sent at letter to Ms. Burcham stating that the project met the Secretary's Standards and asking her concurrence. DCHPO agreed, rendering any public comment pointless. Once again, the public was shut out of the process.)
The NPS has every reason to believe it will get its way with this project, as it has with other projects over the past decades. But this one requires commissioners' additional attention. This is not simply about aesthetics. It is about planning and adhering to historic planning principles for this preeminent national resource - the Washington Monument and the National Mall.
Today we ask that you respond to our questions regarding the project's compliance with the most important law that protects the National Mall - the Commemorative Works Act of 1986, passed by Congress and signed by then-President Ronald Reagan.
We have heard that NPS says this law does not apply to this project. We believe it does and that the NPS is not exempt from the laws of the land. The project proposes to change a commemorative work, the Washington Monument. It includes new above-ground construction for security screening, a visitor center with bathrooms and an education center with exhibits. The Park Service and the NCPC have opposed an education center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and other similar projects on the grounds that they would violate the Commemorative Works Act. The same principles apply here, in our opinion.
The Commemorative Works Act protects the L'Enfant and McMillan plans, the Mall's open public spaces, and it prevents encroachment on existing memorials. The Coalition believes the project as now designed violates those principles.
The L'Enfant Plan envisioned the Mall as "public walks" and the McMillan Plan built on that vision.
- However, the walls would segment the open landscape and force pedestrians into a new pattern around the Monument.
- And what about the historic Jefferson Pier - the granite stone in the location intended in 1791 to mark the Meridian for the United States and the intended location of L'Enfant's monument to George Washington and the cross-axis of the Capitol and White House? The design tucks it inside the curving wall instead of emphasizing its centrality to the L'Enfant vision, and to the Mall's cross-axis.
The Commemorative Works Act also calls for Open Space:
- Even though the concept of "public walks" is the original vision of the Mall, the environmental assessment (EA) does not evaluate effects of the plan on public uses. When asked what effect they would have at May 14 meeting, Sally Blumenthal of NPS refused to answer. Large gatherings and crowds will not be able to move easily through and around the walls. The walls could be a public safety hazard and that might require NPS to deny permits. Is this what NCPC accepts?
- Why does NPS want the walls placed at 400 feet where they would impede pedestrians? We believe they could be relocated to sidewalk level in order to leave the open space open.
- Locating the walls at sidewalk level would be consistent with NCPC's own Design for Security guidelines for Independence and Constitution Avenues.
Finally, the Commemorative Works Act also protects existing memorials by preventing encroachment. The proposed walls on the grass would change the environment and the look around the Monument. The plan would introduce new architecture (the Lodge addition) and other new man-made constructions where historically - since the temporary buildings were removed in the late 60s -- has been open space leaving the Monument is a kind of splendid isolation.
In conclusion, the Coalition asks NCPC to take no action today and, instead, take another look at the effects of the NPS proposal on the Washington Monument, its grounds, the entire Mall, and especially on public uses.
One concluding request, usually at the end of testimony the NPS representative or Commissioner Parsons will comment on public comments. We would ask that, if that happens today, you permit us to reply.
Thank you
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