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Contact: Aaron LaRocca, 703 289 2508
WASHINGTON – The National Park Service is accepting public scoping comments for an Environmental Assessment (EA) that is being prepared for the rehabilitation of Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Scoping comments are being accepted online or in writing from Wednesday, Oct. 14 through Friday, Nov. 13, 2015. The project seeks to rehabilitate and restore the historic Arlington House mansion, slave quarters, and surrounding grounds, as well as undertake additional preservation. The restoration work is part of the project funded by businessman and philanthropist David M. Rubenstein's $12.35 million lead centennial gift in the National Park Foundation's Centennial Campaign for America's National Parks. Scoping is the first phase in developing an EA for the rehabilitation for Arlington House. Scoping comments will help determine the alternatives, issues, or concerns that the project will analyze. After public scoping concludes, the National Park Service will prepare and release a draft EA for public review and comment before a final decision is made. Public Open House A public open house to discuss the conceptual plan and answer questions about the project will be held at Women in Military Service for America Memorial, located at the ceremonial entrance to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The open house format meeting will take place on Oct. 20, 2015 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.and comment forms will be available. Please note, the nearby Arlington Cemetery Metro Station closes at 7 p.m. How to Comment Members of the public and organizations are encouraged to provide comments online through the National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website, which used by the agency to manage official correspondence and analyze public comment in the planning process. From the project website (https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ARHO), navigate the menu on the left hand side of the page to Document List, then "Rehabilitate Arlington House, Public Scoping Meeting," and Comment on Document. Comments may also be submitted in writing to: Superintendent Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial c/o George Washington Memorial Parkway Turkey Run Park McLean, VA 22101 Comments must be entered into the website or postmarked by Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 to receive consideration. Please be aware that the entire comment submitted – including personal identifying information such as address, phone number, e-mail address – may be made publicly available. Requests to withhold such personal identifying information from public release will be considered, but there is no guarantee that they will be withheld. About the Project In July of 2014, businessman and philanthropist David M. Rubenstein announced his $12.35 million gift as part of the National Park Foundation's Centennial Campaign for America's National Parks. The transformative donation will allow the National Park Service to improve the visitor experience and services to help better tell the critical stories of American history through the lens of the generations that called Arlington House home. Projects that will be part of the overall restoration effort include; stabilizing the foundation, restoring the gardens and grounds, rehabilitating the portico and entryway, repairing the interior and exterior of the iconic mansion, restoring the south slave quarters to their original appearance, and creating a new bookstore and museum space. |
Last updated: October 15, 2015