7 October 2024
Officials in Afton recently got a win in the city’s ongoing case against the owner of a private airstrip.
Washington County District Court Judge Doug Meslow last month granted Afton’s motion to dismiss the complaint brought by Jeffrey Walker, who city officials allege has been operating an illegal airstrip on his Afton property for decades. All claims against the city were dismissed with prejudice, according to Meslow’s Sept. 26 court order.
Meslow also granted the city’s motion for judgment on pleadings for injunctive relief based on a counterclaim. The city “is entitled to injunctive relief forbidding future violations and requiring active efforts to prevent violations of the Court’s order,” Meslow wrote.
Walker began using his property at 1022 Indian Trail South “as an airstrip in 2002 and has continued such use,” according to Meslow’s ruling.
Takeoffs and landings of airplanes are illegal in Afton, except in the case of an emergency, and city ordinance prohibits airports, airstrips and heliports within city limits.
Walker has 60 days from the date the order was issued to appeal.
His attorney, Joe Vaccaro, said Friday that Walker intends to appeal. “We disagree with the judge’s decision,” Vaccaro said.
In 2023, a Washington County jury acquitted Walker on charges of illegally operating an airstrip within city limits because of a lack of video and photographic evidence. The jury also dismissed five misdemeanor charges against Walker, which alleged he had violated city ordinance by illegally landing and/or taking off in an airplane on his property on four occasions in April 2021 and once in October 2021.
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