O, say can you see: American flag flies again, legally, at California retailer
San Joaquin County officials are flagging what one supervisor is calling a savvy marketing campaign cloaked as patriotism by recreational-vehicle giant Camping World.
The nation’s largest retailer of RVs and RV-related accessories and services is flying a giant American flag again outside its store in the Northern California town of French Camp.
This time, however, the flag’s appearance is legal.
The county and the RV business have been wrangling for more than a year over the huge flag and the extremely tall flagpole from which it flies; the county said the height of the pole required proper permits, which Camping World did not have. There was also initial concern about how close the pole was to Interstate 5.
In between, Old Glory was temporarily removed and then hoisted again against protocols.
The corporation’s CEO told a local outlet it was his patriotic duty to fly the flag. The county, however, maintained that the proper process was not followed but that the retailer ultimately received what it craved: publicity.
“This is a marketing opportunity for Camping World,” San Joaquin County Supervisor Tom Patti said in an email to The Times. “Camping World has a habit of installing flagpoles that are quite large in size, but they do it without pulling permits on numerous occasions.”
Camping World did not respond to emailed questions.
The store is just south of Stockton off the 5 Freeway.
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The county became aware of a potential code violation in June of 2023, according to Patti. County officials responded by asking for the store’s site plans.
Camping World submitted “incomplete site plans” in December, Patti said.
The San Joaquin County Community Development Department had previously consulted with Caltrans regarding concerns about the pole’s proximity to the freeway. Complete plans were submitted in June and approved Thursday, according to county spokesperson Hilary Crowley.
The Camping World flagpole is 130 feet tall. That height required approval by the county zoning administrator and a building permit, according to Crowley.
Although the size of the flag was not disclosed, other Camping World store flags nationwide have routinely measured 40 feet by 80 feet. Meaning if that flag were laid down, it would cover about 70% of a regulation-size NBA court.
Camping World in French Camp lowered its flag for an undisclosed time during the permit process. Company Chief Executive Marcus Lemonis then ordered the store to fly the flag again Monday, according to reports from the local Fox News affiliate.
The flag’s removal was a tough pill to swallow for Lemonis. The Lebanese immigrant and star of CNBC’s “The Profit” said he was grateful to “enter this country and become a citizen.”
He told Fox the flag must fly because it symbolizes “how we feel about this country.” Also, he said, “we have a lot of veterans who work for us, and a lot of veterans who shop with us.”
The county disputes media reports that it ordered the store to lower the flag until proper permits were approved.
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“The County never told them to take a flag down,” Patti wrote. “We do not have any record nor a citation to remove the flag, and we’ve always had an open line of communication asking for site plans which were delayed in coming from Camping World.”
County spokesperson Crowley said the issue “has been solely with the height of the flagpole.”
Camping World has run into flag troubles before.
In 2019, the city of Statesville, N.C., sued the Illinois-based corporation over the size of the flag at an affiliate store.
The lawsuit generated plenty of buzz, and Camping World created an online petition signed by more than 450,000 people calling on the city to reverse its policy.
“Many cities like Statesville have requested that Camping World and Gander Outdoors take down their American Flags,” the petition read. “WE WON’T DO IT! Stand with us.”
Camping World paid $11,000 in fines to settle the issue.
Patti thanked Camping World for its patriotism and added that the county “supports our flag 100%.”
“This is a self-inflicted issue, but as a business owner and someone that understands marketing, it’s brilliant,” he added.
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