LA HABRA : City, Tire Shop Still Poles Apart

The owners of Big O Tires on Whittier Boulevard say they will not remove the 16 flagpoles outside their shop in defiance of a city order.

City officials sent the store’s owners a letter ordering the removal of the poles, all flying American flags, because they are too tall and are illegally in the public right of way.

Ryan Christensen, co-owner of the store, said that when he opened the business in June, he told the city what he planned to do with the flags and was told he could.

But Mayor Steven C. Anderson said a permit and inspection is required before anything is installed on a public right of way. Big O never was issued a permit.

“The issue is not the flags,” he said. “It’s safety. If one of those flagpoles is not installed correctly and a citizen gets hit by one, he could sue us and win. . . . We’re protecting the safety and welfare of our citizens.”

Anderson added that Big O could keep the flags as long as the poles are pushed back a few feet.

Christensen said the poles were installed properly and that he was never told he needed a permit. “They’re not going anywhere,” he said.

If the flags are not removed within 85 days, the city attorney will decide whether to file a lawsuit, officials said.