A business in Northern California is at odds with the local government over its ability to fly the United States flag.
Camping World RV Sales in San Joaquin County usually has a giant American flag flying over its grounds. That was temporarily halted in April when the San Joaquin County Community Development ordered the business to take the flag down for alleged safety reasons and lack of approval.
“Camping World’s flagpole was installed with neither a building permit nor planning approval. Therefore, they are in conversation with the code enforcement division,” the county said in a statement to Nexstar’s KTXL.
San Joaquin County said the issue is about safety, not the flag. It cited concerns about the flag pole’s foundation and proximity to property lines and Interstate 5 if it were to fall over.
While the county says the flag is a safety risk, some people disagree.
Camping World’s CEO, Marcus Lemonis, found out about the issue and ordered the dealership to restore the American flag to the top of the pole on Monday.
“If we felt like if we were putting people in danger or causing any issues with air traffic, which would absolutely not be OK, then I wouldn’t do it,” Lemonis told KTXL.
Lemonis said Camping World’s flag is installed sensibly and securely with severe weather in mind. It’s also driven deep into the ground.
He added that if it were a marketing flag on the pole, he might allow it to stay down while the business works out the permitting issues with the county, but the American flag stays, no matter what the county says.
“It’s symbolism about how we feel about this country. We have a lot of veterans who work for us, and a lot of veterans who shop with us,” Lemonis said. “I happen to be an immigrant. I was given the blessing of being able to enter this country and become a citizen, and I’m grateful for it. It’s been part of my life since I was a little child down in Miami, Florida, where we had the largest flag pole in Miami at our car dealership.”
Lemonis has fought to keep the flag flying at other Camping World locations before, including in Statesville, North Carolina, where he said he would go to jail before removing the flag.
San Joaquin County said Camping World has applied for a building permit for the flagpole and the application is under review.