Letter
Dear Col. Duggan:
In its meeting of 16 November, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a concept design submission for a new security fence for Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall along its boundary with Arlington National Cemetery. The Commission approved the concept design with the following comments.
The Commission members expressed appreciation for the clarity of the presentation, and they supported the intent to provide a new two-mile-long security barrier, roughly parallel to the cemetery’s historic stone boundary wall, that responds to specific landscape conditions. They commented generally that the proposed metal fence is most successful when aligned according to its own logic and placed far enough from the historic wall to provide sufficient room for a distinctive landscape character, and they advised creating wider areas where feasible. They recommended creating more deliberate rectilinear niches to accommodate existing large specimen trees instead of the more random, zigzag alignment as proposed in some locations. In support of the proposal, including the first option proposed for the Old Chapel gate, they recommended providing an on-site mockup to study the final design and color of the fence, particularly at the gates most used by the public.
The Commission looks forward to the next submission. As always, the staff is available to assist you in the further development of the proposal.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Col. Patrick M. Duggan, Commander
Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall
Fort Myer, VA 22211
cc: Kevin Hubbard, Jacobs