Whispering Palms board abandons proposal to install flagpole at community entrance

The Whispering Palms Community Services District board voted down what had become a controversial proposal to install a flagpole to fly the American flag at the entrance to their Rancho Santa Fe community.

The Veterans Day board meeting on Nov. 11 grew heated, with neighbors arguing over their differences of opinion and some even choosing to get up and leave the room at the La Valle Coastal Club. Those in support saw the flag as a symbol of freedom and the home of the brave while others felt that in recent times, the flag doesn’t reflect being patriotic but is instead a symbol of politics.

Several residents expressed love for their country and support for veterans but said the flag’s placement at the entrance to the community was not appropriate, that flags should be reserved for display on their own private properties.

Whispering Palms CSD Board President Bill Haynor first brought the idea forward in August, at the suggestion of several community members to recognize the significance of next year’s United States Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

“July 4, 1776 is one of the most important historical events in our history. As the only publicly elected body in our community, it is our duty to see that we honor this heritage,” read Haynor’s proposal. “By installing the flag prominently in the front median strip, we can fulfill our duty.”

At the September meeting, the board agreed to set a cost of $9,000 and demonstration story poles were installed to evaluate the best location. It was the hope that with the board’s approval, the flagpole could be installed by the end of November.

Haynor said flagpoles are common for CSDs and residential communities, using the Rancho Santa Fe Association as an example. The RSF Association flies a flag in both the village center and in front of its office building.

“This is not a political issue, this is an issue of honoring the flag,” Haynor said at the November meeting. “We are U.S. citizens and we support our flag as a symbol of freedom.”

At last month’s meeting Vice President Doug Manatt shared his opposition to the proposal in the form of a letter but as the board lacked a quorum they could not take action. He again read his letter into the record at the Nov. 11 meeting.

“While the American flag is undeniably a powerful and cherished symbol of our nation, representing freedom, unity and shared sacrifice, it is worth questioning whether the entrance to Whispering Palms is an appropriate location for a flag display,” said Manatt. “The flag carries deep meaning for many people, but it can also evoke complex emotions and political associations. At a residential community entrance, the display of the flag risks shifting from a unifying gesture to one that inadvertently excludes or divides. Choosing to make the flag a permanent, official emblem of the neighborhood risks suggesting that the community has adopted a singular political or cultural identity.”

Manatt also said mounting a flagpole in the median could feel imposing and institutional, overwhelming the community’s natural beauty and landscape design. He said the display would be better suited to a civic building, school or military installation.

“Whispering Palms is a neighborhood, not a government institution,” Manatt said. “Its entrance should reflect the shared values of harmony, beauty, and inclusiveness. I would rather we find alternate ways to honor and celebrate our country, constitution and flag.”

At the meeting, residents provided public input on the issue, a mix of support and opposition. Emotions ran high over comments like “Anyone who thinks the American flag is divisive should live somewhere else” and “Unity was a part of the American flag until the MAGA movement hijacked it for a lot of people.”

“Since when did the American flag become so divisive?” remarked one resident. “It’s mindboggling.”

Mike Cavanaugh, representing Newport Pacific and the Palma de la Reina mixed-use development at the entrance to Whispering Palms, spoke up in favor of the flagpole as a welcome addition to the community.  His late grandfather Richard Cavanaugh helped develop the community over 60 years ago and members of the family still live in the community in addition to the company owning 54 apartments, 32 condos in Bel Mondo and five vacant lots in the Greens neighborhood.

Resident Sharon Fogg, wearing a sparkling stars and stripes vest, said she was indifferent about the installation of the flagpole but was opposed to any lit flag display as it would violate the San Dieguito Community plan’s dark sky policy.

Per the U.S. Flag Code, flags must be lit or lowered every night. While there is no penalty for disobeying flag code, Manatt said it would be dishonoring the flag to not follow the code.

Director Byron Hanchett, a veteran, was one of the two votes in support of the flagpole, along with Haynor. He commented that the discussion that night left him feeling disconcerted and saddened but in his mind, the American flag stands for the right of everyone to be able to share their opinions.

With his vote in opposition Director Al Panton, also a veteran, said his main concern was the “friendliness in the community and for us all to get along.” He was looking to avoid situations that pitted neighbor against neighbor, like two years ago when the residents were up in arms over whether there should be a revision of the community’s declaration of restrictions, and nearly 10 years ago when the community was divided over a proposal to remove and replace all of the iconic palm trees.

“I do not want to have a flag flying at the entrance of my community and I don’t want to discuss it anymore,” Panton said, supporting the motion to abandon the effort, which passed 3-2. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for the community and I think it would tear the community apart.”