Confusion Over Martin's Beach Access Prompts San Mateo Co. Sheriff's Involvement
HALF MOON BAY (KCBS)— The ongoing public access fight involving Martin's Beach has prompted the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office to clarify its enforcement rules.
The Sheriff's office said deputies will not issue citations or make arrests for trespassing if someone is simply accessing the beach, just south of Half Moon Bay.
San Mateo County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Rebecca Rosenblatt said they issued a statement on their Martin's Beach enforcement protocols after becoming aware of what was being done.
"Right after we put it out yesterday, I noticed a lot of discussion on Twitter about people saying, 'Oh, we thought people were getting arrested for trespassing,' and now the sheriff's office has shared with us that that isn't necessarily what's happening.
Billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems, bought the beachfront property in 2008 and closed the Martin's Beach access road.
In December, a California Superior Court judge ruled that Khosla must re-open the road.
David, who did not give his last name, surfs in the area and said there is still confusion about the terms of access.
"The decision didn't say, it's absolutely open 24/7, come when you want. I mean at this point, it's closed again and at some point it's going to have to be clarified, but during the interim there's not going to be any prosecution of people coming down I guess," he said.
The December ruling requires Khosla to re-open the property in line with how the former owners granted access, which remains in dispute.