HALF MOON BAY—Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla filed a new complaint against the California Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission on Friday, January 24. The decade-long feud concerns public access to a scenic stretch of coastline near Half Moon Bay and Martins Beach.

Khosla claims that San Mateo County Sheriff, Carlos Bolanos and other top officials have made a “concerted effort” to “strong arm” him into allowing visitors to a part of his 89-acre coastal property without compensation, which he purchased for over $32 million. The legal dispute dates back to 2008 when Khosla originally purchased the property. Previous owners once allowed the public to use the beach for a fee, but Khosla’s attorneys state that the cost of maintenance is not worth the revenue.

Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, believes that surfers and other visitors to Martins Beach should be cited for trespassing on his property—an action the sheriff’s office refuses to enforce. Khosla has placed a gate that has closed access to the road to the beach. He has noted the gate is open to paying visitors during the daytime, state officials have argued that the gate to the road is not always open to the public.

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