Billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla can no longer avoid appearing in court for the long-wrought legal battle over Martin’s Beach, a San Mateo County judge ruled Thursday.
Martin’s Beach, a cove near Half Moon Bay beloved by surfers for its great waves, was open to the public for decades for $5 access and parking. But Martin’s Beach LLC bought a 53-acre parcel land that includes the beach in 2008 for $37.5 million and gated shut the beach’s only public access road, which runs through the private property. Surfers took offense to the privatization of California’s shores, and fought the closure with purposeful trespassing and several lawsuits.
For years, Khosla, who founded Khosla Ventures and cofounded Sun Microsystems, fought to hide that he is behind the limited liability company that bought the land, but earlier lawsuits forced his attorneys to state his role. His attorneys maintain that Khosla has the right to restrict access to his private property. The Surfrider Foundation and other plaintiffs say the public has a right to access the coast. Full story
