Protest over Beach Access

Some locals should just bring bolt cutters ###### of night for days on end and keep the gates open until this Vinod Khosla cocksucker just relents, this piece of fucking shit brings his third world gestapo ways to the U.S. and thinks he can get away with keeping people from the beach, in California of all places? Elitist scum.

The last website that needs promotion is DisneyEXPN. Here's a better story from a local source. http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county-times/ci_21115351/surfers-or...

LM,why hate on ESPN Now? Mercury news is owned by Ford motor group....not very "local".Just be happy ESPN is reporting on such events...and supporting surfing.

been there once and felt closer to Mexico than anywhere Norte. my kid and I had a beer after a surf in the cantina and had a chat with the previous owner - generations of family - came away very impressed. The new owner, a Clown that thinks his shit don't stink and yours certainly does, has opened another capital investment branch on Sand Hill Road. Eat the Rich before They Eat You!
Preserve Public Access to Martin's Beach.

Super glad this protest happened.

I did the AIDS Lifecycle bike ride to LA earlier this year, and walked down to Martin's every time I passed on training rides. Suuuch a gorgeous spot, a real crime to close it down. I have some decent cellphone video of the reef on the n@rth end looking absurdly fun by the way.

Interesting that the new owner is claiming that since the previous owner charged a fee for access, that it was never a public right of way. I see his point, but hope that the Coastal Commission doesn't. It seems to me that his line about how "it's a fundamental constitutional property right that's at issue here" could well be said about pretty much every enforcement the Coastal Commission performs. In some cases I think the Coastal Commission can be a bit heavy handed, but in this case I'm hoping they come down on him hard.

I wonder if Eminent Domain be used in this case - not to purchase the entire property - but to purchase a strip of trail for access and the strip of beach for public use. There have been many instances when eminent domain has been used by local and state governments to purchase property from private owners for public use (with federal money). Given that the state and federal governments are in fiscal crisis mode and that beach access in San Mateo County is VERY low on their priority list, I doubt it would ever happen.. but it's an idea. It would not be seizing of private property, just purchasing access with compensation given to the owner.

What a shame if the public permanently loses access to Martin's, a truly special place. Yes, more like a Mexican fishing village than a California coastal community. The only other place quite as unique as this would be Pacifica's Shelter Cove, and I still marvel at how they manage to get around coast access laws too. An attempt to invoke imminent domain has less chance than a hail Mary pass. I have the feeling that this is going to be a long and protracted fight because the new owner has the money for it.

Good spot for a real surf camp

Well... hmm.. if the state and or federal government offered him a massive tax break, maybe he would consider some sort of deal to allow access? Something tells me he'd still care less though, he's probably got all the tax loopholes he could want. Anyway, I think it just comes down to priority.. and unfortunately, our local and state officials think that they have bigger fish to fry, or they just don't care enough to do their jobs when it comes to this issue.

@Sharkturd: good call about Shelter Cove, that place is amazing. I know the owner, he thoroughly hates when people come onto his property. He's not even sympathetic to the fishermen who are well within the mean high tide line, though of course he has to be. But man does he get hassled by the powers that be. Some developers want the land badly, its probably the same douche who just bought Martin's, and they keep inducing new fines on him, and forcing him to make improvements, hoping he'll run out of $$$ to defend himself.

I recently learned the craziest thing about Shelter Cove: it was built by the Ocean Shore Railroad Company, was a full on beach resort.

@Marklar people employed by the San Jose Mercury News, regardless of the parent company, are local and they are real journalists (well, as real as a journalist can be) compared to DisneyEXPN which focuses solely on making advertisers happy thus compromising journalist integrity. Not to mention they employ people in New York, would rather support a local writer than someone on the East Coast pretending they know what's happening here.

I've heard the surf can get decent there and have always been curious. Sharkturd's point about Shelter Cove is a good and relative one. I had no idea there used to be a resort there either. It's also somewhat reminiscent of battles over The Ranch down south and Sea Ranch up north, on a lesser scale. Ultimately, I don't think coastal access should ever be able to be blocked by property owners, but on this site, that's probably just a matter of preaching to the choir. From what I've seen, Hawaii seems to do a better job of consistently allowing access. Private boundaries still exist up the sand/inland, but with paths etc granting folks a way in. Either way, dude comes off as greedy, absurdly wealthy dick. I saw some photos of the protest last night and it looked like a solid handful of people rallied. Fingers crossed, but I agree that it likely won't be an expedited process.

Martin's would be the worst place for a surf school, tom, even a "real" one. Too wild and wooly. Wiemea-style steep sloped beach, rocky, sharky, and then there is the little matter of waves....like few, especially for a begginer. In the dozens of times I've been there I never witnessed what I would call appealing conditions. Seen guys twice "surf" the cove on the n0Rt eNd, but that's using the word loosly. What, pray tell, did you mean by "real"?

Bungalows,babes,free beer, barrels,bongs,long barrels,Palm trees,ganja fields,warm water,and much more goodness

Well TT, since you put it that way....where can I find one of those real camps?

Jamacia

Martin's is where you go when you have friends in town and they do not want to go all the way to Monterrey but want to play in tide pools. Great place for a hang maybe a picnic. Keep it open I say!!