Vinod Khosla is about to find out:<\/p>\n
HALF MOON BAY, Calif. \u2014 The Pacific Ocean glistens in the distance, past the rolling bluffs that rise beyond the electric gate that blocks off Martin\u2019s Beach Road. The road leads to Martin\u2019s Beach, once a revered hideaway for surfers, fishers and beachgoers drawn by its isolation, dramatic cliffs and sweep of soft sand.<\/em><\/p>\n But these days, the future of this hidden beach on the San Francisco Peninsula is being fought in a courthouse 25 miles away, in a battle that has become the latest class-charged standoff involving a wealthy entrepreneur in this polarized part of California. Vinod Khosla, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, paid $37.5 million in 2008 for a 53-acre parcel of ocean land that includes the beach and the road \u2014 and proceeded to close the gate, posting armed guards and signaling that he was prepared to spend what it takes to keep the public off what he contends is private land.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cPeople are saying, \u2018Talk about entitlement: Rich people think they can get away with anything,\u2019\u00a0\u201d said Rob Caughlan, the former president of the Surfrider Foundation<\/a>, the nonprofit organization that brought the suit. \u201cAll we want is to get Khosla to follow the same law as everyone else does.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n This NYT story by Adam Nagourney will engage a number of your personal levers, e.g., rich guys versus the rest of us, eminent domain, conservation, private versus public property. Oh and armed guards at gates.<\/p>\n And do take a look at the article\u00a0\u2212 It\u2019s Privacy vs. the People in the Battle for Martin\u2019s Beach – NYTimes.com<\/a>. \u2212 for a glorious, full-color panoramic photo of the beach in question.<\/p>\n UPDATE 9\/27\/2014. Apparently he can’t. From AP, via the New York Times:<\/p>\n California: Judge Orders the Road To a Popular Beach to Be Reopened<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n A Northern California judge on Wednesday [9\/24\/14] ordered a Silicon Valley billionaire to reopen his private road to a beach beloved by surfers and swimmers. The judge, Barbara J. Mallach of San Mateo County Superior Court, ruled that the billionaire, the venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, would have to obtain permission from the California Coastal Commission if he wished to close off Martin’s Beach, a secluded stretch of coast south of Half Moon Bay. The case, brought by the surfer and environmental group Surfrider Foundation, had been seen as a test of 1970s laws ensuring public access to the state’s 1,100 miles of coast. For more than a century, owners of the beachfront property had allowed beachgoers to use a private road to reach Martin’s Beach, in exchange for parking fees. But Mr. Khosla, whose lawyer did not return a call for comment, locked the gate on the road after buying the 89-acre property in 2008.<\/em><\/p>\n Down with the selfish rich.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Vinod Khosla is about to find out: HALF MOON BAY, Calif. \u2014 The Pacific Ocean glistens in the distance, past the rolling bluffs that rise beyond the electric gate that blocks off Martin\u2019s Beach Road. The road leads to Martin\u2019s … Continue reading