Historic review overhaul could speed Trump's D.C. plans

The big picture: The Trump administration is already facing legal challenges from preservationists who argue it has prioritized speed over review in instances like the White House East Wing demolition.

• On the other hand, one local gripe within the D.C. development world is that the red tape surrounding project reviews in Washington can lead to drawn-out timelines and less innovation.

State of play: The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) — which oversees the federal review process for projects impacting historic properties — is considering changes to a review process called Section 106.

• Under the current law, federal agencies are required to consider how projects impact historic properties and to get public feedback before proceeding.
• But the changes would allow agencies to proceed without seeking as much feedback and would limit what is considered a protected historic property, among other things.
• The Atlantic first reported the proposed changes.

What they're saying: "Moving forward, it would give them free rein to do whatever they wanted to do," D.C. Preservation League executive director Rebecca Miller told CNN.

• "It's not even a small tweak — it's a complete gutting."

Yes, but: "If adopted, these regulations will be challenged in court, and I doubt they will survive judicial scrutiny," George Washington University Law School professor and previous ACHP chair Sara Bronin told The Atlantic.

The other side: The changes are meant to fix the "uncertainties, delays, and regulatory burdens" in place under the current law, per the ACHP documents obtained by the Atlantic.

What we're watching: Council members are supposed to vote on the changes by Friday, after which the proposed rule would continue on the review process.