Council hears detailed presentation on airpark overlay; residents raise safety, noise and property concerns

JUB Engineers presented a draft airport overlay for the West Desert Airpark at the Fairfield Town Council meeting on June 18, 2025, outlining a runway‑centered protection area that would impose height limits and other land‑use constraints on surrounding parcels.

The overlay, drawn to federal and state guidance, defines a roughly 5,000‑foot radius protection zone around the runway centerline and includes layered surfaces that limit structure heights as distance to the runway decreases. "Within the green area, everything needs to be less than 150 feet above the airport elevation," said Brian Carver, land use planner for JUB Engineers, referring to the draft map shown at the meeting. Carver and aviation engineer Neil Rayer said steeper slope limits apply closer to the runway; Rayer described the operational bases underpinning the surfaces as tied to aircraft types and safety criteria used by aviation planners.

The draft also includes runway protection zones — shorter, highly restrictive strips extending beyond each runway end — and conical airspace where a one‑foot elevation gain per 20 feet of lateral distance was described as the controlling slope in some areas. JUB said the overlay document they reviewed was prepared earlier by an outside aviation firm and has been updated for the airpark's new runway alignment.

Residents, property owners and nearby businesses used the meeting's public comment segment to raise objections and questions. Speakers asked whether the overlay equated to a no‑build restriction and whether the town had authority to limit aircraft or runway length. Several residents said they had not been notified before substantial changes occurred at the airport and said the overlay would affect what they can do with their property. "This restricts what a very large majority of the residents in town can do with their property," one commenter said in written remarks read at the meeting.

A representative of Northpointe Landfill asked how the overlay would affect landfill operations and raised liability concerns about bird strikes and bird attraction from the landfill. The landfill representative asked, "Who's liable if there's a bird strike and the plane goes down? Is that the town? Is it the landfill? Is it the pilot?" JUB staff said the overlay sets limits on compatible uses and highlights wildlife attractants and smoke‑producing uses as potentially incompatible, but they stopped short of assigning legal liability.

Airport advocates who spoke urged cooperation and described mitigation steps the airpark and its users have taken, including a complaint form and pilot briefings aimed at quieter approaches. An airpark representative said the facility has operated as a public‑use field and asked the town to balance aviation uses and community concerns.

Mayor McKinney and council members said the presentation was informational and that no adoption vote was scheduled. Council members and staff repeatedly told speakers the overlay is a draft and that state and federal guidelines inform the protective surfaces. Carver told the council the overlay language and map should be subject to the town's public process and that additional public input and legal review remain.

The council did not take action on the overlay at the June 18 meeting. Council members said they will continue review, collect public comment and consult legal staff before any formal adoption step.

An extended public comment period followed the presentation; several residents asked the council to consider limiting runway length or aircraft size, and others asked the council to pursue clarity about whether the airport is privately owned but designated for public use under Federal Aviation Administration rules.