What does the National Capital Planning Commission actually do and what power does it have over projects like this?

What the NCPC actually is

Established by Congress in 1924, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is the federal government's central planning agency for the National Capital Region. Think of it as the planning and zoning board for all federal property in and around Washington D.C., a role that local governments handle for private land everywhere else in the country. It is an independent executive agency charged with oversight of the development of federal property within the National Capital Region.

The 12-member Commission meets monthly to adopt, approve, or provide advice on plans and projects that impact the National Capital Region. Its members include both presidential appointees and officials who sit on it automatically by virtue of their other federal jobs, among them cabinet secretaries and the Mayor of D.C.

Where its power actually comes from

The law establishes the Commission's core responsibilities: preparing a Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital's federal elements, reviewing plans and projects for federal property, and preparing the Federal Capital Improvements Program. Federal agencies are required to submit project plans and development proposals for federal property to the Commission for review.

The Commission's approval authority extends to review of federal agency projects that include buildings, uses, structures, and signage on federally owned land in Washington, D.C. "Approval authority" means a hard yes or no, not a suggestion. Depending upon the project's location, the Commission either approves the project or provides recommendations. For a project on federal land inside D.C., like this arch site near Memorial Bridge, that is binding approval.

How this plays out on the arch

The NCPC is one of two key federal agencies that reviews and approves major changes on government property in Washington, D.C., and it has only given preliminary approval for the arch project so far.

The Commission voted to approve preliminary site and building plans for the 250-foot arch that President Donald Trump wants to build on a traffic circle at the Virginia end of Memorial Bridge. But preliminary is not final. The preliminary plans were approved "with comments to be addressed prior to final review."

One of those unresolved issues is serious. NCPC staff recommended a series of revisions to the project to comply with the Height of Buildings Act, a century-old federal law that restricts building heights in Washington, D.C., to preserve the city's skyline. Trump's proposed arch would be more than twice as tall as the 99-foot Lincoln Memorial, and taller than France's Arc de Triomphe.

The administration tried to move ahead anyway. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced plans to break ground within two weeks, despite still awaiting final approval from the NCPC and other federal reviews. That move triggered an emergency federal court injunction. A group of Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian filed the lawsuit alleging the arch would desecrate the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, and the plaintiffs also claim the president doesn't have the authority to build the arch without approval from Congress.

One more layer worth knowing: the NCPC is now controlled by Trump allies, including White House staff secretary Will Scharf and deputy chief of staff James Blair. Scharf chairs the commission. That is why critics argue the usual check the NCPC provides has been softened here, even as the legal requirements remain on the books.