A California court has ordered a Silicon Valley billionaire to restore access to a beloved beach that he closed off for his private use, a major victory for public lands advocates who have been fighting the venture capitalist for years. In a decision that could have far-reaching impacts on other coastal access cases, the First District Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled 3-0 that venture capitalist Vinod Khosla violated the California Coastal Act when he ended decades of public access to Martins Beach, south of Half Moon Bay, after he purchased the 89-acre property surrounding the beach. The decision this week, affirming a lower court ruling, stems from a lawsuit filed by the Surfrider Foundation, a not-for-profit group that says the case could have broader implications for beach access across the US. “Can wealthy individuals buy up our beautiful beaches and say, ‘Screw you, you can’t walk to the water any more?’” 
 
 Khosla’s attorneys, who have argued the case is a violation of his private property rights, are expected to appeal to the state Supreme Court, and eventually perhaps, the U.S. Supreme Court. The California coastal commission, established by voters in 1972 to protect public use of the coast, has reported that beachgoers have increasingly complained about private security guards telling them they are trespassing on private property and forcing them to leave the public beaches. Khosla’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But Khosla eventually bought the property and in 2010 closed public access, putting up signs warning against trespassing. In that lawsuit, which is still pending, he accused them of “a concerted effort by state and local officials to single out, coerce and harass one coastal property and its owner for refusing to cede its private property rights.” 
 
 Khosla claims the agencies have gone after him for “purely personal and political reasons.” 
 
 On Thursday, Cotchett said he expects Khosla to open the gate immediately, given the appeals court ruling, unless he is able to obtain an injunction from the California Supreme Court.
– The Silicon Valley billionaire who bought and then closed public access to a popular California beach must let the surfers return, a court ruled Thursday. In a 3-0 decision, a state appeals court ruled venture capitalist Vinod Khosla must restore public access to Martins Beach near San Francisco. Martins Beach had been frequented by surfers and fishermen for almost a century before Khosla bought its surrounding 89 acres for $32.5 million in 2008, per the San Jose Mercury News. Shortly after, Khosla, who the Guardian reports does not live on the land, blocked the only road providing beach access. Thursday's decision relates to a suit filed by the Surfrider Foundation in 2013. The foundation argued that under the 1972 California Coastal Act, Khosla needed to obtain a Coastal Commission permit before changing "the intensity of use of water, or of access," and both a lower court and the appeals court agreed. A lawyer for Surfrider says it's "probably one of the most important public right-of-access cases in the country," with huge implications. He now expects Khosla to appeal to the California Supreme Court. Khosla previously said he would sell a land easement allowing public access to the beach to the State Lands Commission. But though the 6.4-acre stretch chosen is worth about $360,000, Khosla wants $30 million. His lawyer explained the price in December, saying "Khosla is unwilling to be coerced into giving up a vested constitutional property right." A lawsuit in which Khosla accuses the commission of harassment is pending. More on that here.