Fight over West Desert Airpark in Utah County continues

FAIRFIELD, Utah County — A dispute is widening between the owners of a small, public-use airport in western Utah County and the neighboring town of less than 150 people.

The West Desert Airpark began in 2002 and is home to the West Desert Flight School and Rocky Mountain Kitplanes, Utah's only light aircraft manufacturer.

"We were one of the first that really built anything in the town," said airpark founder Mark Pringle.

The airport operated through Utah County until 2004, when it came under the jurisdiction of the newly incorporated Fairfield town. In 2018, the airpark was designated a public-use airport by the Federal Aviation Administration.

As a nearby landfill expanded and was granted permission to be built higher, the airport had to relocate its runway to ensure adequate room for planes to descend. West Desert received three state grants to install a relocated runway built to FAA standards.

But the town residents aren't so happy with the airport. About half of Fairfield citizens signed a petition earlier this year, citing concerns of excessive noise and increased traffic from "an already invasive and under-regulated private airpark," the petition claims.

In April 2025, the town passed a resolution halting applications related to the airpark until the town formally adopted regulations for the zones, saying there were "numerous concerning issues" in the zoning. Right before the moratorium expired, the town passed the resolution again in September.

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'Desperately needed' or a nuisance? Utah County airport facing pushback from town residents

The owners of West Desert Airpark in western Utah County claim Fairfield town is now backing out of its approvals for additional airport expansion.

Mayor Hollie McKinney said applications were paused so the town could clarify regulations for aviation uses. In such a small town, "everybody feels it," when the airpark's operations expand, she said.

The Pringles, however, say the West Desert Airpark is the only active public-use airport in the valley and "it's desperately needed."

In December, the airpark was denied its business license renewal, which it has held for more than two decades, for not being in compliance with the town code. The airpark appealed, and the denial was overturned by an independent hearing officer.

But the pushback hasn't stopped there. Airport manager Alina Pringle said the town continued to withhold the airpark and Kitplanes' business licenses for almost a month before finally granting them, but the flight school still has yet to receive its license.

"Without any denial, explanation or reason," she said. "It's been a constant battle."

Zoning changes and a lawsuit

On March 25, the town removed the Airpark Zone ordinance from the land and adopted new zoning regulations that prohibit the airpark from being public-use if it exceeds more than 10,000 takeoffs and landings per year or has more than 20 based aircraft at a time. The airpark has about 44 based aircraft.

Some of the controversy stems from an expansion project the airpark has planned for a 27-lot residential hangar home community, which the airpark says the town initially approved in a master site plan in 2024.

While the new zoning technically allows for the airpark to build the development, none of them would be able to have a plane with the based aircraft limit.

In response, the airpark filed a federal lawsuit against the town for an alleged pattern of constitutional violations and targeted conduct. The airport has been operating lawfully throughout its history, but the town is now conducting a coordinated campaign "to obstruct, discredit and ultimately dismantle it," the airpark's attorney Amy C. Walker said in a statement.

"Fairfield town officials have singled out West Desert Airpark and have been relentless in pursuing legally unsupported actions to interfere with my clients' property rights. West Desert Airpark made repeated efforts to resolve what, at first, appeared to be a genuine misunderstanding," Walker said.

The complaint claims efforts to resolve the issue with the town have been unsuccessful.

"The lengths they have gone to in trying to bend both the facts and the law are shocking. At this point, the record speaks for itself: the town approved the airpark's runway, then turned around and tried to pretend it didn't," Walker said.

The lawsuit alleges the mayor and other town officials have "committed intentional, malicious acts taken outside the scope of their lawful authority" and repeatedly made false statements about the airpark's operations, development status and zoning compliance to state officials and during town meetings.

"When asked to correct those statements, (town officials) responded with hostility," the lawsuit states. Town officials "have changed agendas or deviated from the noticed schedule in order to raise public clamor about the airpark."

'Differing interpretations'

Fairfield responded with its own complaint filed in Utah's Fourth District Court on April 15, asking for a declaratory judgment on the validity of the town's zoning and a decision on which zoning designations apply to the airpark property.

The suit alleges the town lacks "clear records" of its properly adopting the airpark zone and amending the zoning map in 2022. The lawsuit claims the airpark began runway expansion without proper approval, arguing the permit the airpark had was signed "under disputed circumstances and outside normal land use approval procedures."

McKinney said the town filed it to obtain clarity and a judicial determination for land-use regulations in the area. The case isn't about the town taking a position for or against any particular property owner, but to carry out town responsibilities on applying regulations consistently and fairly, she said.

"Over time, various zoning ordinances, zoning maps, overlays, amendments and related land-use actions have affected the area, and different parties have asserted differing interpretations of those regulations and the rights they create," she said.

Because the litigation is pending, McKinney said the town does not have any comment on the lawsuits.

The airpark filed a motion to dismiss the case, describing it as "clearly a request for an advisory opinion" and alleging it does not satisfy the elements of a declaratory action and wouldn't resolve the present disputes.

Pringle hopes the town and airpark can come together to find a cooperative solution. She doesn't want to fight or be enemies; she said she just wants the airpark to be an economic driver for the area that gives back to the community and helps share the excitement of aviation advancements.

"We've begged, we've pleaded, we've asked time and time again to meet with the Town Council to find a solution and it's been blocked," she said. "We just want the rights to do what we were told we could do and to be reimbursed for what the town has caused us to lose."

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