Privates Beach still fenced off despite warning from Coastal Commission

UPDATE 6/30/2016 10:25 PM: The fence and gate outside Privates Beach in Capitola is still standing even after the California Coastal Commission ordered it to be removed.

Thursday was the deadline to make the beach public but the Opal Cliffs Recreation District hasn’t taken it down yet.

The beach has always been a popular surf spot and park but it cost $100 a year to get in.

“The conditions out there are a little different than at the Point, where you have masses of people,” said Wayne Kenney.

Kenney has been catching waves at the beach since the 1960s. He also works at Freeline Design Surf Shop, the store that sells keys to get into the beach, and Kenney said he likes it that way.

“The place will fall apart. There would be parties, there would be transients probably living down there on the beach, garbage,” said Kenney.

But the California Coastal Commission said the fence has to go because it’s a public beach.

“Basically the public owns everything at the bottom of the stairway. But we also own the stairway, the beach park here, we actually own this gate and fence because it’s all on public property,” said Linda Locklin with the California Coastal Commission.

If the fence is still there on Friday, the district will have to start paying $11,000 a day.

“They should be operating (the beach) for the benefit of the public. Instead, they are operating for the few people that chose to pay the $100 to come in,” said Locklin.

According to the guard at the gate, the $100 fee goes to maintain the beach and park.

“They don’t have to worry about stepping on needles. This (is) somewhere they can leave their bike and not have to worry about it getting stolen,” said gate ambassador Scott Sanborn.

For residents like Kenney, the fee is a small price to pay for feeling safe.

“People complain about being a gate there but you can paddle there in five minutes from the hook, it doesn’t take that long,” said Kenney.

The Coastal Commission said the district can apply for a permit. The two groups will meet in the next two weeks.

PREVIOUS: The fence and gate outside Privates Beach in Capitola is still standing even after the California Coastal Commission ordered it to be removed.

Thursday is the deadline to make the beach public but the Opal Cliffs Recreation District hasn’t taken it down yet.

KION’s Monica Jacquez will have more on this story at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.