Judge rules against billionaire in Martin’s Beach dispute

A Northern California judge has ruled against a billionaire who shut down access to a popular beach.

San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Barbara Mallach ruled Thursday that businessman Vinod Khosla erred by closing off Martin’s Beach without permission of the state Coastal Commission. Mallach ordered the private road reopened to the public until and unless Khosla gets that permission.

Khosla had locked the private road to the secluded beach south of Half Moon Bay after he bought the property in 2008. The Surfrider Foundation brought the suit to reopen it.

Eric Buescher is an attorney for the surfer and environmental group. He says wealthy landowners up and down the coast had been watching the case closely. An attorney for Khosla did not immediately return a call seeking comment.