A Washington, D.C., historic preservation official is urging the Trump administration to move President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch honoring America's 250th anniversary from its planned site near Arlington National Cemetery, The Washington Post reported.

In a June 26 letter to the National Park Service obtained by the Post, District Historic Preservation Officer David Maloney recommended relocating the monument from Memorial Circle to an undeveloped traffic oval on South Capitol Street between Nationals Park and Audi Field.

Maloney argued the alternate location would better accommodate the project while preserving Memorial Circle, which sits across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial.

"It would create an energizing focal point for a still-emerging neighborhood, suitable for a celebratory crowd," Maloney wrote.

He said the location could become a symbol of "sports triumph" because of the nearby stadiums "and importantly, it would enhance the historic L'Enfant Plan and the city's monumental landscape rather than detracting from it."

Trump announced the proposal as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration, saying Washington should have a monumental triumphal arch like those found in other major world capitals.

"We're the only important and major city that doesn't have one," Trump said during an Oval Office event in May.

The president also said he wants the structure to eclipse the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which is 164 feet tall.

"We have to do slightly larger ... otherwise you'd all be disappointed in me," Trump said. "But it's even far more beautiful."

According to the Post, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., a Trump appointee who chairs the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, previously identified the South Capitol site as a potential location.

Maloney contended the proposed Memorial Circle site "would severely damage an exceptional cultural landscape and one of the most important symbolic places in the nation." He also argued the location is less accessible than other major monuments.

"The location does not suggest a likelihood of success for a celebratory monument," he wrote.

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts has approved the project, and the National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to consider it July 9.

The proposal has also drawn legal challenges from veterans and historic preservation groups, who argue the monument would alter the landscape surrounding Arlington National Cemetery. A federal judge is considering that lawsuit.

Federal officials have outlined an expedited construction timeline that aims to complete the arch before Trump leaves office.