President Trump was given the green light to continue planning for his 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom, days after a federal judge ordered a halt to construction until it received congressional approval.
The move came when the National Capital Planning Commission, headed by White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf, voted 8-1 Thursday to proceed.
Phil Mendelson, chair of the D.C. Council, was the only vote against the project because “it’s just too large.”
The urban planning commission, tasked with approving construction on federal property in the Washington region, went ahead with the vote because the judge’s Tuesday ruling bars construction, not the planning process, Mr. Scharf said at the start of the commission’s meeting.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon found that the president does not have broad authority to make changes to the property without congressional approval.
“The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” he found his in ruling.
The White House has appealed this decision, disputing that Congress must give its stamp of approval.
“We built many things at the White House over the years. They don’t get congressional approval,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office after the ruling.
Officials said above-ground construction could start as early as this month. Even with the agency’s approval, the ruling and lawsuits against the project could hamper its progress.
The vote was originally scheduled for March but was delayed until this week due to “significant public input” into the project, most of which was overwhelmingly negative.
The ballroom will be in place of the historic East Wing, which was demolished in October to make way for the estimated $400 million project, funded through private donations.
An amendment to the original blueprint was also passed during the meeting, removing a proposed staircase from the south side of the building.
In February, the Commission of Fine Arts voted unanimously to approve the project.
The ballroom will replace tents that are set up now on the lawn to host important guests, the White House has said. Mr. Trump has belittled the tent setup as causing world leaders to sit amid puddles when it rains.
“The ballroom will be celebrated as a crucial and contributing aspect of the White House complex,” Mr. Scharf said Thursday.
• Mary McCue Bell can be reached at mbell@washingtontimes.com.
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