Vermont Airstrip Fight Divides Lincoln Neighbors

A years-long dispute over a private airstrip has divided Lincoln, a small town in Vermont’s Green Mountains. Kyle Clark, chief executive of electric aircraft company Beta Technologies, wants to fly small, gas-powered planes from the 900-foot grass strip on his 130-acre property to work and elsewhere. The strip has already been built, but its use remains contested.

Clark’s opponents, including neighbor Marilyn Ganahl, say the flights would bring safety and noise concerns. Ganahl has helped organize resistance and says she has spent about $300,000 supporting it. Clark says he has followed the required process and wants to use his property without infringing on others’ rights. He acknowledged that pursuing the airstrip has cost him heavily in legal fees and other expenses.

Opponents prevailed in early local proceedings, but Clark has since won in state court, before the Federal Aviation Administration and, in October, before Vermont’s Transportation Board. His neighbors have appealed the FAA decision in federal court and challenged the state board’s ruling in the Vermont Supreme Court on October 19. Clark is now a few administrative steps away from using the strip.

The conflict has also spilled into town life. Neighbors have complained about surveillance and intimidation, while the Clarks have accused town officials of acting unethically. Their lawyers threatened a lawsuit over due process in a September letter; Clark later said he did not intend to sue.

Clark currently drives about 45 minutes to his property in Charlotte, where an airstrip is already permitted. Town administrator Trish Waugh said she hopes residents can disagree and still remain neighbors. Many in Lincoln have stayed neutral and want the dispute to end.