The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a DC nonprofit that focuses on landscape advocacy and education, filed a lawsuit against the Department of Interior today regarding the repainting of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The organization is hoping for a temporary restraining order or preliminary i njunction to halt ongoing work to coat the pool’s surface “American Flag Blue” ahead of the nation’s Semiquincentennial on July 4—a deadline that already seems a little tight for such an intensive project. “The design intent, to create a reflective surface that is subordinate, is fundamental to the solemn and hallowed visual and spatial connection between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial,” Charles A. Birnbaum, the president and CEO of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, said in a press release announcing the suit. “A blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park.” In its complaint, The Cultural Landscape Foundation argues that the original color of the pool’s tiling is a fundamental element of its historic character. “The dark grey, achromatic basin was not incidental to the design,” the group, which is represented in this case by the Washington Litigation Group, writes. “It was the design.” The complaint cites the 1999 National Park Service Cultural Landscape Report for the Lincoln Memorial Grounds, which notes that “the dark color of the tile created the illusion of greater depth and a more profound reflection.” Because the Reflecting Pool is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the suit argues, President Trump’s administration unlawfully bypassed Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966—which would have required the National Park Service to consult with “various interested parties” (such as nonprofits and expert organizations) for feedback before moving ahead with any redesign. The Cultural Landscape Foundation also notes that, up until this point, the US Commission of Fine Arts has reviewed all proposed changes to the Reflecting Pool since its construction. But the agency was not involved in plans for the basin repainting. “No consulting parties have been notified, engaged, or given an opportunity to participate,” the complaint continues, adding that the “latest desecration of the reflecting pool is part of a pattern … in which this Administration willfully disregards legal limits established by Congress.” The Cultural Landscape Foundation references the demolition of the White House’s East Wing as the most egregious example of such behavior. This latest suit joins a growing list of legal actions targeting various Trump-backed DC construction projects. A group of Vietnam War veterans are suing the administration over the president’s proposed triumphal arch, arguing that a 250-foot structure would obscure historic sightlines between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. The DC Preservation League and two local residents filed suit in February over Trump’s planned championship-level redesign of East Potomac Park and its public golf course, on the grounds that such a makeover would jack up maintenance costs and make the course inaccessible for less experienced players. The New York Times reported today that the cost of the Reflecting Pool remodel has skyrocketed since Trump initially proposed it, with estimated costs ballooning from $1.8 million to more than $13 million after a recent contract update with Atlantic Industrial Coatings—the Virginia firm that is completing the renovations. When asked for comment on the lawsuit, an Interior Department spokesperson defended the administration’s repainting of the Reflecting Pool. “The choice of American Flag Blue will enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument,” a statement emailed to Washingtonian read. “NPS is also investing in a state-of-the-art ozone nanobubbler filtration system and will now have a dedicated crew who will maintain the grounds from wildlife.”    The post Trump Administration Sued Over Reflecting Pool Paint Job first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less