The Sevierville Flag Controversy: The Notice To Take Down the Camping World American Flag

Camping World in Sevierville receives flagpole zoning violation notice

A controversy is brewing in Kodak that is drawing national attention. The combatants? In one corner, Camping World, the nation’s No. 1 RV dealer and its CEO Marcus Lemonis, who sidelines as a reality TV show star. In the other corner? The city of Sevierville codes enforcement department and Board of Zoning Appeals. The issue? One giant American flag and a really long flagpole.

Camping World Sevier County

Located in Kodak, Camping World celebrated the grand opening of its Sevier County facility in May of 2024. Per Lemonis the facility – which is essentially a giant car lot but for RVs – represents a $20 million investment.

The road to today’s version of Camping World started when Lemonis – whose great-uncle owned a massive car dealership – was approached by a friend and mentor of the family about building a massive RV empire. That mentor was Lee Iacocca – yes THAT Lee Iacocca.

Iacocca helped launch the business, originally known as Holiday RV Superstores. Lemonis also co-founded FreedomRoads and began acquiring RV Dealerships. The company merged with Camping World which had begun in 1966 with a small store In Bowling Green, Kentucky. Lemonis was named CEO. Under his leadership, Camping World has grown to 185 superstores nationwide, including the Kodak facility located on E. Dumplin Valley Road next to Interstate 40 and off of Exit 407 near the former Smokies Stadium.

The controversy

Recently, Lemonis posted a letter on social media from a Sevierville Codes enforcement officer. The letter stated that the Kodak facility, after requesting a variance from zoning laws, constructed a 130-foot flagpole on the grounds. On the pole flies a 40 x 80-foot American flag. The facility was given 30 days to remove the flag or face legal action or citations. Lemonis posted the letter – including the contact information for the Codes Enforcement Officer – and a response.

“Dear @SeviervilleTN, the flag and flagpole aren’t coming down,” Lemonis wrote. “It’s currently our standard flagpole of 130 and the flag is 40×80. We are excited to continue to send all the new tax revenue from the 20 million dollar facility we built in your town on former farmland.”

Speaking with Knoxville television station WATE, Lemonis stood his ground. He stated that he understood that we would be fined but the flag would not come down. Also, this is not the first time Camping World has faced a similar issue. They were cited for code violations in Greenville, North Carolina.

He also said that NEARLY (emphasis mine) all the Camping World locations have a flag just like it. The current zoning for the area allows for a 44-foot height limit which the Camping World pole exceeds by 86 feet. Lemonis says the pole was also cleared by the FAA, so there is no safety issue.

“I’ve had this flag in my family since I was a little child. I was born in a foreign country, I had the blessing of being here in the United States where I can have a business and have employees,” Lemonis told WATE. “This is my way to pay respect, not only to the veterans of this country, but to current and active military, and everybody else who just loves the country.”

The reaction

The people of East Tennessee – by and large – have had an uneasy relationship with zoning requirements that limit what people can do on their property. Add in the fact that the item at issue is an American flag. The flag that Lemonis – an immigrant who was brought to this country by his adoptive parents as an infant – says celebrates his love for the USA and the veterans who have fought for it. Public sentiment seems to be going heavily against the government and for the patriotic CEO.

But a closer examination of the facts makes it difficult to stand behind Lemonis’ position 100%. While many criticized the Sevierville government as being against the flag, the fact is the ordinance was in place before Camping World Kodak was a gleam in Lemonis’ eye. The company knew the law and chose to willingly violate it. Lemonis may feel the law is silly or unjust. But there will – and should be – some consequence to violating it.

Secondly, Lemonis’ statement while popular in some circles strikes me as incredibly tone-deaf. Citing the $20 million investment, he seems to imply that the money spent should allow Camping World to ignore the law.

Was the lot farmland?

Also, he calls the lot just off of I-40 former farmland. Maybe it is? I don’t know how far you’d have to go back to find someone actively farming it. I’ve been driving past that spot for over 30 years and don’t remember cornfields or tomatoes or even hay on the property. But, in fairness, I don’t know that I was paying that close attention. Maybe it was farmland before Camping World came around, but that part of the statement struck me as odd. Still, the larger point that it’s certainly more profitable to the tax coffers than it used to be is correct.

Finally, Lemonis, in my opinion, stepped out of bounds in releasing the Codes Enforcement officer’s contact information. The BZA made the decision not to grant the appeal. It’s that guy’s job to enforce it. I do not envy him his voicemail or email this week. That was Lemonis using his bully pulpit to lean on a civil service worker and it wasn’t cool.

The verdict

When I first learned of the controversy my reaction was cynical. Camping World was using the American flag as a marketing tool. But Lemonis’ comments and the fact that he is willing to pay a $250 per day fine in Greenville indicates that the CEO’s position on the flag is more from the heart than the pocketbook.

However, if Lemonis truly wants to celebrate the American ideal, he wouldn’t indicate that money should make him above the law. Even if it seems a relatively petty law. If he wants to honor what America is all about, he wouldn’t lend his considerable weight to “doxing” a Sevier County native who has served as a deputy and a patrol officer.

In his comments to WATE, Lemonis said nearly all the Camping World facilities have such a flag. Since he cited the FAA, I assume the places they don’t have the flag pole are because of the proximity to an airport.

What will be the outcome?

Maybe Lemonis and Camping World will be content to follow the Greenville model. In other words, pay $250 a day and wrack up a little more than $90,000 in annual fines. Or maybe a compromise can be made, a flagpole that splits the difference, for instance.

Until then, it appears that these two combatants are at an impasse. Lemonis has said – and demonstrated by his actions elsewhere – that he doesn’t intend to back down. And by putting the city of Sevierville on blast, he’s also painted civic leaders into a corner where they can’t back down either. If they do, they render all the zoning codes unenforceable, at least for the rich and powerful.

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