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White House perimeter fence preliminary drawings unanimously approved by NCPC

2016-12-04 10:28:03

White House perimeter fence preliminary drawingsunanimously

approved by NCPC

The Secret Service is moving forward with their plans for a new, higher perimeter fence for the White

House. This Thursday, the National Capital

Planning Commission (NCPC) unanimously voted in approval of the preliminary site and development

plans submitted by the National Park

Service.

While the preliminary site and development plans have been approved,

the project is still likely to be refined over time. This is simply the first

phase of a comprehensive security plan meant to further protect the

White House. The following phases will consider fence options for the

Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the Treasury Building.

Currently, the concept design calls for a 10-foot-seven-inch-tall fence, standing on an 18-inch stone

base with one-foot-tall “anti-climb measures.” The current fence is roughly eight feet high and

encloses approximately 18 acres of land. The White House fence was first installed around 1803 and

now features seven pedestrian and six vehicular gates.

In the summer of 2015, the NCPC approved temporary security improvements to the White House fence.

These “anti-climb measures” are also known as "pencil points.”

When considering new designs for the perimeter fence, the Secret Service kept in mind the picket size

and spacing. At the last NCPC meeting, the NCPC commented favorably on the two-inch picket with the

five-and-a-half inches of space, providing more visual access for visitors. The existing perimeter fence

offers approximately one-inch pickets with a roughly 4.5-inch space.

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