A private airstrip has put a small Vermont mountain community at the center of costly litigation and accusations of intimidation. The nearly five-year dispute involves an estate whose owners have issued no-trespass orders to 23 neighbors.
Here's what to know
Kyle Clark, chief executive of electric aircraft manufacturer Beta Technologies, and his wife, Katie Clark, want to use a 900-foot grass runway at their 130-acre Lincoln property for small, gas-powered planes, according to The Boston Globe.
The home is a 45-minute drive from Beta's headquarters at Burlington International Airport.
Two estate caretakers told a group of neighbors that surveillance cameras had recorded them on the property, and one said he would photograph their cars. The confrontation, which escalated the dispute, occurred while the neighbors were walking along a public road through the estate.
"Bullying and intimidation." That was adjacent property owner and leading airstrip opponent Marilyn Ganahl's assessment of the encounter, per The Boston Globe.
Clark, meanwhile, maintains that he has followed the rules and that opponents have spread false claims while delaying approval, The Boston Globe reported.
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More background
Ganahl estimates she has spent about $300,000, much of it on opposition aimed at protecting her 105-acre horse farm and nature preserve. She has restored the land and, by her tally, cared for 400 dogs and 43 horses over the years.
Opponents have raised safety concerns about the short runway, surrounding obstacles, and steep approaches. They also worry that low-flying aircraft will disturb Lincoln's quiet setting.
"We've been ignored the whole way through," Sarah Farr, a waitress who lives above Ganahl's horse barn, told the Globe.
Clark acknowledged spending "an irrational amount of money" pursuing the runway. He also purchased a $14 million Lake Champlain property with a permitted airstrip in Charlotte, though flying to work from there first requires a 45-minute drive from Lincoln.
Beta employs roughly 1,500 people, another factor shaping local attitudes toward its leader.
What's being done?
Lincoln's town boards rejected two airstrip applications, finding that the proposed use was incompatible with existing residential zoning.
Clark appealed, and state court rulings between 2023 and 2025 reversed those decisions while imposing a daily cap of two takeoffs and landings, according to the Globe.
The court held that federal law barred local review of safety and noise concerns and that Lincoln had not explicitly restricted airstrips. The runway received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration in July 2026 and Vermont's Transportation Board in October.
Opponents appealed the FAA decision in federal court and challenged the state board's decision on Oct. 19 in Vermont's Supreme Court.
Separately, the Clarks' lawyers threatened a due process lawsuit against the town in a September letter. Clark later said he had "no interest in doing that."
Lincoln town administrator Trish Waugh said she hoped the dispute would not divide the community.
"I hope it has not put a line through the town," Waugh said, per the Globe. "I would hope that people can disagree and still remain neighbors and remain friendly and able to coexist together. Because we all love Lincoln. We're all part of Lincoln."
Where can I learn more?
The dispute in Lincoln echoes other clashes over how people use their land and who can access it. These stories cover contested easements, unwanted visitors, and homeowners concerned about nearby development.
• A homeowner cited over their driveway discovered neighbors had made up an easement.
• In Washington, an HOA offered yearly rebarking for access after overlooking a wetland easement.
• Rural homeowners say Randonautica sends strangers onto their land, with some allegedly stealing.
• In Maine, a homeowner says a 30-unit development plan may encroach 100 feet onto their land.
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