By Dave Vieser — An 1,800-square-foot American flag has been approved for display at the Randy Marion dealership on Torrence Chapel Road near Exit 28.

The town’s Planning Department, acting as the Board of Adjustment, unanimously approved a special-use permit for the flag Monday, Sept. 14. It is the first flag approved under a change to the town code adopted in January that allows larger U.S. and North Carolina flags with approval from the Board of Adjustment.

David Cobley, representing Randy Marion Lake Norman and Cars MTI-5 LP, requested the special-use permit because the proposed flag exceeds the size and height limits in the town’s land development code.

The proposed flagpole will stand 114.84 feet tall, and the flag will measure 1,800 square feet and approximately 70 feet in overall length.

Under Chapter 10 of the town code, flagpoles are limited to 30 feet, flags are limited to 40 square feet and properties are limited to three flagpoles. The code was amended in January to allow flagpoles flying the U.S. or North Carolina flags to exceed those standards if a special-use permit is first obtained from the Board of Adjustment.

The amendment also added a specialized set of findings the Board of Adjustment must affirm before approving larger flags, which the application met.

Large American flags at car dealerships have been the subject of controversy in past years along the interstate, particularly in the Statesville area, where opponents raised concerns that the flags could distract motorists.

Different rules nearby

Mooresville, Huntersville and Davidson have different regulations governing large flags.

Mooresville exempts American flags from its normal flag-size limits. Huntersville allows flags up to 160 square feet on poles as tall as 54 feet, without a specific exemption for American flags. Davidson limits flagpole height to the maximum building height allowed in the applicable planning district.

A dispute over a giant American flag at the Camping World dealership in Statesville drew national attention in 2019 after the company installed a 40-by-80-foot flag despite local regulations limiting its size.

Statesville officials said the issue was enforcement of the town’s regulations. Camping World said the flag honored military veterans and refused to remove it.

The dispute ended in October 2019 with a legal settlement allowing the flag to remain. Statesville subsequently amended its ordinance to allow the 40-by-80-foot flag.