OPINION:
I am a great fan of President Trump’s ballroom — but I think the location is a visible mortal sin.
There are at last three reasons for this. First, the current site takes away a chunk of lovely lawn that hosts a variety of White House events, such as the spring and fall garden tours and the annual Easter Egg Roll.
Second, it is so large that it overshadows the White House. Finally, it unbalances the White House with its East and West wings, visually distracting and detracting from the home of the president of the United States.
A much better alternative location for the ballroom is the top of the Ellipse. The ballroom could be connected to the White House by both a path and an underground tunnel (for use in the event of bad weather or as needed for security).
The Ellipse location has three virtues. It would allow the new structure to serve a large number of other federal agency events rather than being limited to a handful of White House activities. Other events would not require the intense level of security required for presidential events.
Hopefully it is not too late to relocate the new ballroom, thereby sparing President Trump from being remembered as the commander in chief who ruined the centuries-old visual emblem of democracy that the White House has become.
B.P. COTTER JR.
Leesburg, Virginia
Please read our comment policy before commenting.