• By Stephen Staudigl
• December 05, 2022

NCPC Approves Final Plans for the National Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial

At its Thursday, December 1 meeting the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved final site development plans for the National Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial submitted by the National Park Service in collaboration with the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association. The memorial will honor those who served on active duty as members of the Armed Forces in support of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield, an international effort led by the United States to liberate Kuwait in 1990. It will be located at the intersection of Constitution Avenue and 23rd Street, NW just north of the Lincoln Memorial.

The approximately one-acre memorial has three primary elements: a storm wall, inscription wall, and unity shield fountain, which is the centerpiece. Its circular form is meant to evoke the “left-hook” maneuver led by the Armed Forces that liberated the country. Commissioners liked the memorial’s landscape-oriented approach, meant to evoke Kuwait’s desert landscape, and material selections. They thought design changes, including to the character and scale of the storm wall’s bas-relief, inscription wall’s hierarchy of writings, and unity shield fountain’s woven spiral pattern and sculpted perimeter, improved the memorial’s look.

“I want to commend the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association and its team for creating what will be a beautiful addition to the commemorative landscape in Washington, DC. The memorial’s landscape-oriented approach and sculptural elements really speak to the themes of service and unity, which we need to think about in an important way today,” said NCPC Chair Beth White.

The Commission then provided comments on the draft master plan for the James J. Rowley Training Center Master Plan submitted by the United States Secret Service. The 439-acre campus in Laurel, Maryland is a training facility for Secret Service employees. This new plan provides several changes from one approved in 2017, adding 750,000 square feet of new facilities including several used for training purposes, an expanded vehicular training pad, and relocating several facilities into a core area at the campus’ center. The population would increase from 722 to 1,095 by 2030 while parking spaces would decrease from 1,145 to 751.

Commissioners supported the draft plan as it will make the campus more walkable with training facilities more centrally located. They appreciated the Secret Service relocating buildings from the campus’ western side and planting trees there and requested a detailed tree replacement plan. They also requested that renewable energy components be added to the plan and encouraged the applicant to strive for an even more sustainable and green campus. They commended the Secret Service for reducing parking spaces that will meet the campus parking goal of 1 (parking space) to 2 (employees).

Commission actions and related materials are available online.

The Executive Director approved three items under authority delegated by the Commission.
1. Preliminary and final site development plans for the Armed Forces Retirement Home Sheridan Building Renovations, 3700 North Capitol Street, NW. (8420)
2. Final site and building plans for the School Without Walls at Francis-Stevens School Modernization, 2425 N Street, NW. (8401)
3. Preliminary and final building plans for the National Institutes of Health Surgery, Radiology and Lab Medicine Building Addition Facade Design Changes, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland. (8235)