American flag returns to Camping World in French Camp. Here's why it was taken down
FRENCH CAMP – Camping World in French Camp is known for flying the biggest American flag around, but for three months the flag was taken down.
CBS News Sacramento walked into Camping World along Interstate 5, south of Stockton, and asked why the flag hadn't been flying, and word went all the way to the CEO who said that changes right away.
Camping World says the county told them to take the flag down while permits and paperwork were being filed, but he doesn't care, because it means too much to him and the community.
"It really means a lot of things, unity, courage," said Danica Noceti.
Noceti drives by the Camping World at least six times a day, and noticed the flag wasn't flying for quite some time.
"It isn't windy, it hasn't been raining, so there must be something more to it," she said.
The RV dealership is known for flying big American flags across their locations, so we started getting answers, and our questions went all the way up the flagpole.
"I'm an immigrant into this country and was given an opportunity by natural born citizens to be here, I'm grateful," said CEO of Camping World, Marcus Lemonis.
Lemonis said the flag should've never been taken down in the first place and demanded it be put back up.
"The flag is the only thing in my mind that is the symbol of unity," he said.
Our cameras were there when the 80-pound flag was finally flown over the RV dealership once again, despite Lemonis saying the county told them to take the flag down.
"For me, it's a bureaucracy just trying to take away from our ability to put the American flag up there," he said.
So what is the county saying is wrong with the flag?
They say it's not the flag, but the flagpole.
San Joaquin County responded to CBS13 saying that flagpoles over 25 feet have to have a permit and cannot be close enough to any major structures. In this case, it's how close the pole is to I-5.
The county says Camping World has changed the design of the permit, further extending the review process.
But while the review is ongoing, Lemonis says the flag will fly, no matter the cost.
"I'm going to keep it up, I know the county may want to fine us and do things that are negative in nature," Lemonis said. "They are rooted deeply into the ground, we have hundreds of them all over, that isn't how it works."
Ultimately, the county and the company want to come to an understanding. The review process could take some time.
