Fence Blocks SMC Beach Access With Sign Warning 'Trespassers Will Be Shot': Report

DALY CITY, CA — An 8-foot chain link fence now blocks the usual path to Thornton State Beach in Daly City, with a sign warning trespassers will be shot, according to a report by KRON4.

The trail that provides local residents with access to additional scenic bluff trails overlooking the ocean has been blocked by a fence. According to Supervisor David Canepa, the fence was erected this January on private property next to the public beach.

“On the fence was a hand drawn sign with an image of a gun warning that trespassers would be shot on site,” Canepa’s letter stated to the chair of the California Coastal Commission, according to KRON4.

Public access to all beaches below the high tide line is guaranteed by both the state Constitution and the California Coastal Act.

“I am joining a growing group of concerned Bay Area residents, business owners, dog owners, horse lovers and outdoor enthusiasts banding together to save public access to Thornton State Beach in Daly City, which is located in the district I represent,” Canepa wrote.

The controversial issue of homeowners blocking access to public beaches in San Mateo County includes the high-profile case, Surfrider Foundation v. Martins Beach 1, LLC, which began when billionaire Vinod Khosla bought coastal property for $32.5 million and locked a gate, blocking the road to Martins Beach, KRON4 reported.

Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla spent over a decade fighting to restrict public beach access. The Supreme Court denied his 2018 appeal, but Khosla continued suing over property rights, prompting the California Coastal Commission to file its own lawsuit.

Canepa claims the new fence and sign at Thornton State Beach restrict public access, contrary to decades of efforts by the Coastal Commission and State Parks to keep the beach open. He is urging the California Coastal Commission to oppose this restriction by an unnamed private landowner and demand the fence's removal.

Read the full story at KRON4.