(WASHINGTON)–President Donald Trump’s proposal for a 90,000 square foot ballroom will move to Congress after the National Capital Planning Commission gave its approval during a Thursday hearing.
The vote passed 8-to-1 despite continued public outcry. There were 32,000 public comments submitted to the White House Ballroom project, according to the commission. Some 97% of those comments were in opposition to the ballroom’s construction, according to activist organization Public Citizen, whose members were protesting outside the building before the vote.
@cnsmaryland Nearly 20 people rallied outside The National Capital Planning Commission’s building Thursday morning to further protest President Donald Trump’s move to strike down the East Wing of the White House to build a ballroom. Pedestrians, drivers and bicyclists cheered and honked in solidarity as the small group of people held up their signs and chanted “no corruption, no construction!” The event was organized by the non-profit organization, Public Citizen. ✍️: Reporting by Sanya Wason ????????: Post by Madilyn Rubery #Trump #Protest #fyp ♬ original sound – Capital News Service
Chairman William Scharf said he personally read through every single comment to make sure his decision was fairly based.
“While some might wish for history and the world to stand still, the fact of the matter is that the White House complex has constantly evolved,” Scharf said at the meeting .
Phil Mendelson, a Democrat on the commission, was the only one who voted against the measure. He asked the council to halt the decision as he felt it was too rushed, and not properly researched.
”The issue, to me, is not whether there should be a vote,” he said during the hearing.
“We don’t have to choose between expressing the needs of the American people and accommodating modern government’s needs.”
President Trump began demolishing the East Wing of the White House in October of last year without approval.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ordered a preliminary injunction based on a request from the non-profit organization The National Trust for Historic Preservation to force the administration to take “proper measures.”
Just a day before the commission’s vote, Leon wrote in his ruling, “unless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!”
The D.C. mayor appoints two members of the commission, but the majority are appointed by the administration and leadership within Congress.
The commission held a meeting last month where it heard nearly 100 public comments and discussed logistics. The public visitor space during the Thursday hearing was limited, and no further comments were allowed.
While some people voiced their opinions online, a small group of about 30 people protested in front of the NCPC’s building.
Long-time Washington, D.C. resident Roz Mack has been silently poised against Trump’s construction of the massive room, but she decided today was the day to finally speak out.
Holding a handmade sign, the retired art and architectural historian told Capital News Service she feels the foundations and structure of the ballroom are not feasible and violate what America stands for.
“This is not what the country was founded to sponsor,” she said. “It costs Americans; it is money being spent for a purpose which I consider un-American.”
The construction of the ballroom has caused controversy, with citizens accusing the president of going above the law to sponsor the establishment.
One protester emphasized that Trump is not given the authority to just decide what to do with the White House.
“He thinks he’s above the law, that he can just unilaterally make decisions,” 65-year-old D.C. native Stephen Morris told CNS. “He’s a tenant. He’s not an owner.”
Despite some pushback, others find the ballroom a necessary change to the nation’s capital.
Texas couple Jonna and James Dye visited the White House Thursday morning, wearing Trump gear. The couple expressed their support of the ballroom construction to CNS.
“I’m not sure why this is much of a conversation at all,” James Dye said. Jonna Dye agreed, explaining that “change happens,” and improvements are necessary.
Jon Golinger, a protest organizer for Public Citizen, has been following the ballroom case very closely. Immediately after the vote, he told CNS that the vote felt illegitimate to him.
During the hearing, the commission revealed a short amendment it made to the project’s structure. To Golinger, the public’s lack of knowledge of these changes raises real questions about the commission’s legitimacy.
”The vote is a joke,” he said, shaking his head. “I would guess Trump will keep changing it based on whatever strikes him on that given day.”