Letter
Dear Mr. Vogel:
In its meeting of 16 April, the Commission of Fine Arts was pleased to hear an information presentation on the process for developing a permanent design for improving security and the visitor experience at the White House and adjacent areas, including the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the Treasury Building, and President's Park South.
The Commission members acknowledged the complicated evolution of security barriers in this area during recent decades—leading gradually to improvements as seen along Pennsylvania Avenue north of the White House, and to unsightly temporary conditions as seen on E Street in President's Park South. They expressed appreciation for the intent to replace the profusion of temporary installations with an integrated landscape design for the complex as a whole. They recommended that this design effort consider the aesthetic relationship of the disparate locations and varied purposes of the facilities that will result from this project, and they emphasized the importance of developing the design with careful consideration of the context.
The Commission looks forward to the anticipated submission later this year of designs for the White House fence, President's Park South, and other perimeter security projects for the wider precinct. In the meeting, based on their prior review of the submission materials, the Commission also approved submissions for temporary security measures for the White House fence and entrances to President's Park, which are addressed in separate recommendations in the April 2015 Consent Calendar. As always, the staff is available to assist you.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Robert Vogel, Regional Director
National Park Service, National Capital Region
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242
cc: Thomas Dougherty, U.S. Secret Service
Rob Rogers, Rogers Partners