A peaceful Vermont town is in uproar over an aviation CEO's demand to build a personal airstrip on his $3.5 million compound.
Kyle Clark, the chief executive officer and board member of Beta Technologies, is just steps away from opening up his already-built airstrip at his home in Lincoln, but locals are putting up a huge fight over it, according to The Boston Globe.
The 46-year-old moved into the 8,195sq ft home in late 2021 with his wife, Katie Clark, 45, and their children after the couple fell in love with the 'magical' home and found joy in the rural town's general store, she told the outlet.
They control the $4.5 billion company that is determined to create the first electric airplanes that take off and land like a helicopter, the report stated.
For as long as he can remember, Kyle has dreamt of being able to fly directly from his home to his job and was approved a permit to do so in March 2022 by a town administrator.
But word quickly spread about his ambitions, and agitated locals, including Marilyn Ganahl, appealed the decision and have continued to do so for years.
'It'll be very disruptive to the peace and the mountain vibe that we have up here to suddenly have low-flying aircraft,' Ganahl, 72, told The Globe.
Ganahl has gone on to rally others who are upset over the proposed airstrip, which she referred to as 'a nightmare from hell' because of the safety and noise concerns it brings.
Kyle Clark, the chief executive officer and board member of Beta Technologies, has been trying to open up a personal airstrip on his property in Lincoln, Vermont, for years
The 46-year-old moved into the 8,195-square-foot home in late 2021 with his wife, Katie Clark, 45, and their children after the couple fell in love with the 'magical' home and found joy in the rural town's general store
Right now, Kyle drives about 45 minutes to a property in Charlotte that he spent about $14 million on.
It has an already permitted airstrip that allows him to fly small gas-powered aircraft to Beta Technologies' headquarters at Burlington International Airport, but he would like to be able to do so from his home in Lincoln.
'I'm shocked at how long this has taken,' Kyle said of the years-long fight over the airstrip in Lincoln.
'There's a large, coordinated and, unfortunately, untrue approach that the opposition has taken, and it has made people quite confused,' he added.
The way Kyle sees it is that he has followed all of the required steps to get the airstrip approved, and 'never attempted to tell somebody else what they can do on their land,' the father said.
But, according to Ganahl, the Clarks' alleged takeover of the area has grown into those who oppose the airstrip being surveilled. She also said that they have had to deal with 'bullying and intimidation.'
She and others have successfully won local legal battles early on in the fight, but the Clarks have prevailed with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), state court, and Vermont's Transportation Board, according to the report.
Mark and Stephanie Atkins, who live near the Clarks, have accused Kyle of 'aggressive' flying and being 'a big bully.'
Local Marilyn Ganahl (left) has publicly protested against Kyle's proposal, stating that the airstrip would be 'a nightmare from hell' because of the safety and noise concerns it brings
Right now, Kyle (pictured with his wife Katie) drives about 45 minutes to a property in Charlotte that he spent about $14 million on. It has an already permitted airstrip that allows him to fly small gas-powered aircraft to Beta Technologies' headquarters at Burlington International Airport, but he would like to be able to do so from his home in Lincoln
Kyle has maintained that what Mark is referring to is when he safely performed tricks in an airplane while roofers worked on his home, he said.
'He's gonna do what he wants. He's got his hands in everybody's pockets. He's bigger than us, so he thinks,' Mark told The Globe.
His opponents have gone on to appeal the FAA's ruling in federal court. They also appealed the state board's ruling to the Vermont Supreme Court on October 19.
'I hope it has not put a line through the town,' town administrator Trish Waugh (pictured) said of the controversy
The Clarks have also accused town leaders of acting unethically, leading them to threaten to sue the town for violating their rights to due process, The Globe stated. Clark later told the outlet that he has 'no interest in doing that.'
While there are two clear sides: those for the airstrip and those against it, others in the community have decided to remain neutral.
'I have never seen anything like this before,' town administrator Trish Waugh told the outlet.
'I hope it has not put a line through the town. I would hope that people can disagree and still remain neighbors and remain friendly and able to coexist together. Because we all live in Lincoln. We're all a part of Lincoln.'
Michael Dennison shared a somewhat similar view, but made it clear that he prefers to stay out of the drama.
'In a small town, an issue like this is bound to get personal at some point,' Dennison said. 'Eventually, one of you will need the other to pull you out of a snowbank.'
Kyle, a former professional hockey player, has always been drawn to flying, but he and his wife never thought it would cause such a stir.
'It's been hard. We were excited to move to a town and be part of a community, and my husband suggested that he might like to do a thing that he loves to do, on his property, and everything blew up in our face,' Katie said.
Kyle, a former professional hockey player, has always been drawn to flying, but he and his wife never thought it would cause such a stir
The couple and Chuck Davis, a private equity executive and a chair on Beta's board, bought the Lincoln General Store (pictured) for $457,000 soon after they moved to the rural town
Soon after they moved to Lincoln, the Clarks were informed that the owner of the general store they adored so much was selling due to health reasons.
The community rallied together and tried to raise money through a nonprofit to keep its doors open, but it became clear that they wouldn't be able to do so in time, so the Clarks opted to purchase it themselves.
The couple and Chuck Davis, a private equity executive and a chair on Beta's board, bought the store for $457,000.
They also invested money in renovating the aging store and added an ice cream stand for the community to enjoy.
After taking the store over, David Venman, a lawyer who led the nonprofit fund, said that he believed the couple decided to help because they cared about the community.
'General stores don't make money. From my perspective, [the Clarks] are doing all this stuff for the benefit of the town,' he stated.
Meanwhile, Dan Guy, a retired carpenter and local, said he prefers not to patronize the store because the Clarks bought it.
'Lincoln's changed pretty dramatically. It just seems like the Clarks are running it now,' Guy said.
The Daily Mail contacted Kyle and Ganahl for comment.
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