Billionaire Ordered To Reopen Public Beach

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) - California's coastal regulator is issuing a cease-and-desist order against the owner of a Northern California beachfront property who has refused to open a popular beach to public access after a court ordered him to do so.

A San Francisco appeals court ruled in August that venture capitalist Vinod Khosla broke state law when he blocked the public from accessing Martins Beach, south of Half Moon Bay, after he bought a $32.5 million beachfront property there in 2008.

In a letter released Tuesday, the coastal commission orders Khosla's staff to remove a locked gate and signs on the property that say "no trespassing" and "beach closed." It also seeks to block any further unpermitted development.

An attorney for Khosla, Dori Yob Kilmer, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.