Hill: Martin’s Beach bill still has bite
“Earlier this year, state Sen. Jerry Hill signaled that seizing a private dirt road for the public good could be the only way to restore access to the secluded Martin’s Beach. In a controversial step, he made eminent domain a centerpiece of legislation he authored and helped shepherd through the Legislature.
Senate Bill 968 is now in the final leg of its journey to become law, but the final version isn’t quite what Hill or coastal advocates originally envisioned. After an intense lobbying campaign in the Assembly, the bill was revised, removing references to eminent domain and no longer mandating the state to take the land if negotiations fail.
For fans of Martin’s Beach, that means no outcome is certain even if the bill is signed into law. If the bill is signed into law, the State Lands Commission would be ordered to attempt negotiations with the beach’s owner, billionaire tech magnate Vinod Khosla next year. But if Khosla declines to sell his property, the three-member commission would not be bound to anything.”
Noack, Mark. Half Moon Bay Review 18 September 2014.