The dealership is located near Troy, a city of about 25,000, but located inside of Tipp City, Arbogast said. He annexed his dealership into Tipp City, which has a population of about 5,000, to obtain utilities.
At the time he was building the new dealership on Interstate 75 he was aware the city was about to enact a zoning rule limiting structures to 100 feet in height.
"I knew it was coming and put my flag up before the regulation took effect," he said. He got the idea for a giant American flag from a store in Dallas, Texas located on an interstate exchange.
"It was just so beautiful," he said. His dealership flag has been flying since 2003.
"It has become a landmark in our community," Arbogast said. "Talk to officials in Tipp City and Troy. People come to see it."
On Monday, local car dealer John Kufleitner's bid to install what could have been the largest American flag in Ohio at
his new dealership was denied by the Salem Board of Zoning Appeals. The flag at the Arbogast dealership is 30 by 50 feet and Kufleitner wants to install a 30 by 60 foot flag.
Along with Kufleitner, both Mayor Jerry Wolford and Housing, Planning and Zoning Officer Pat Morrissey said they were surprised by the action.
Kufleitner, whose $3.2 million Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership should be completed by December, requested a variance from the permitted height of 45 feet for a 130-foot flag pole. The dealership is located at 400 Legacy Lane, just south of the state Route 45/U.S. Route 62 bypass.
The board voted 3-2 against a conditional use which would have allowed the flag pole but only if it fell (if it actually was knocked over) within Kufleitner's property.
Board members Bob Merry, who proposed the condition, and John Panezott voted for it while Harry Conn and Tim Baillie voted it down and Chairman Mark Pietzrak broke the tie.
The board then voted 3-1 to deny the variance with Panezott the only for it.
Kufleitner said he would have met the conditional use provision if it had passed.
Arbogast there were no complaints or opposition to his flag.
"No, just the opposite, I've never heard a negative comment," he said.
"If anything it's an inspiration for people who drive by. People stop and take photos. Not a month goes by someone doesn't stop in."
He said about 90,000 vehicles a day drive past the dealership. The interstate is about 30 to 40 feet off his property line and the flag pole could fall on the interstate, he added.
"I've never had a complaint. I can't tell you how many compliments," Arbogast said.
"They come to see it. I've got a lot of people who wrote letters and service organizations complimenting us."
He relayed a story about one veteran driving by who stopped in and thanked him for the great display of patriotism. "If I go somewhere and meet someone, they're more familiar with the flag than my dealership," he said.
The flag pole is 158 feet high and rated for winds of 130 mile per hour, or F-2 on the Fujita Tornado Scale. "We just had a wind shear that took down four trees and turned over RVs with no problem. It was a pretty healthy wind," he said.
He said flag noise is negligible. "You can hear it whipping if you're right on my property ... you may hear a snap, but nothing you can hear off our property."
A wind strong enough to put the flag at "full attention" is when it "gets the most notice," he said, explaining it might make a snapping sound, but "no boom sound."
Arbogast said, "If the city (Salem) government would like to send a representative I'd be glad to show them. I think it's a total asset to the community, not a detriment."
He added, "It's the best money I ever spent."