A mystery landowner sparked outrage along the Northern California coast after slapping up an 8-foot fence and a handwritten threat warning that beachgoers would be shot for using a pathway to access the shoreline.
Residents who rely on the walking path to reach Thornton State Beach, a popular 58-acre public beachfront protected by California State Parks, immediately pushed back against the barricade, SFGATE reported.
San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa was bombarded with emails notifying him of the sudden closure and threat, which was written on a piece of cardboard and featured a crudely drawn image of a gun.
“I was just absolutely appalled,” Canepa, who visited the site himself, told SFGATE.
The sign said that “trespasser(s)” would be shot for bypassing the chainlink fence, which was erected on private property. It also warned that the “owner” was “armed with a 9mm gun.”
The fence blocks the only pathway to trails leading down to the state beach that are used by thousands of horseback riders and hikers each year, according to SFGATE.
Canepa responded by writing letter to the California Coastal Commission asking it to order the fence’s removal, SFGATE reported.
While the property owner has not been identified, Canepa said the person purchased the land in November.
The menacing sign was later removed by Daly City police, Canepa said, and while the fence remains, there is now a hole cut into it.
“People are outraged,” he said. “I’ve been elected for 18 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this.”
A Daly City Council hearing is scheduled for Monday to determine the future of the fencing and Canepa is scheduled to speak directly with the president of California’s Coastal Commission later this week, according to SFGATE.
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Canepa says the barricade is not only an inconvenience and a disservice to visitors, but also a safety issue because it blocks police and fire personnel from accessing the beachfront in the event of an emergency.
“This has always been a place where people hiked,” Canepa said. “You’re able to bring your dogs. It’s highly used. To put up gates and lock people out really runs counter to our San Mateo County values,” SFGATE reported.
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