§8905 Site and Design Approval

Summary

A sponsor allowed to build a memorial in Washington, D.C. can only ask for a construction permit after following certain steps. First, the sponsor must talk with the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission about possible sites and designs. Then the Secretary of the Interior or the head of the General Services Administration must send the chosen site and design to the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission for approval. When those agencies review a proposal, they must use basic rules. The memorial should be near things that relate to its subject. It must not block or crowd existing memorials and should protect open space, public uses, and natural or cultural resources. The memorial must be built of durable materials and have landscaping that fits the climate. Memorials that are mainly museums cannot be placed in Area I or East Potomac Park shown on the law’s map. The agencies may also set site-specific rules to guide design. Donor recognition is allowed under limits. A sponsor may show donor credits only inside an associated building or as part of a manmade landscape feature, and the display must follow National Park Service or GSA rules. Credits must be a short, appropriate statement, be freestanding, not attached to landscape features or museum objects, and can be shown for up to 10 years based on the gift level. The sponsor must pay for the acknowledgments. These rules apply to memorials dedicated after January 1, 2010.