Larry Page's flying car company wants to expand

SILICON VALLEY — When you think tech, you probably don't think of a municipal airport.

But Hollister Municipal Airport is where flying car company Zee.Aero Inc., reported by Bloomberg to be funded by Alphabet CEO Larry Page, is looking to put down long-term roots.

On Monday, the Hollister City Council will vote on approving a 34-year, 1-acre lease with the Mountain View-based company.

Zee.Aero already has a presence at the airport: The company signed a five-year lease in 2014, according to the Hollister Free Lance, and has been conducting flight tests of two prototypes, according to Bloomberg.

The new lease not only drastically extends the company's length of stay, but also calls for construction of new facilities.

Zee.Aero plans on constructing a 14,000-square-foot hangar (which will include office space), a 9,900-square-foot parking lot and a 16,400-square-foot aircraft ramp, according to the lease and city staff report.

The company gained a patent in 2013 for an electric-powered personal aircraft that can take off and land vertically.

The Bloomberg article, published in June, paints a picture of a secretive company that took measures to hide Page's involvement. It's a characteristic backed up by the 2014 Free Lance piece.

"They don't really want to brag about what they do," Airport Director Mike Chambless was quoted as saying. "I can tell you it's an aircraft manufacturing company. They're bringing about 15 jobs down here and they're well-funded."

The company will pay Hollister $5,850 a month for the lease, with adjustments for inflation built into the terms of the agreement.

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