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Gate lock removed from
By Harold Morse
Portlock beach access
Star-BulletinA bicycle lock has been removed from a gate blocking public beach access from Portlock Road, City Council Chairman Jon Yoshimura said.
Yoshimura went out yesterday to check and found the lock was no longer there. The lock was reportedly removed Saturday morning.
"We're happy it was removed," Yoshimura said. He indicated a nearby property owner evidently removed it.
Yoshimura sent a letter Friday to attorneys for owners of three properties adjacent to the beach-access lane informing them the city would have the lock removed.
Someone placed the lock on the gate earlier this month.
"Over a period of a couple of weeks, we received a number of complaints," Yoshimura said. Regular beach users objected that the lock had been put up.
"That's how we became aware that there was a problem," Yoshimura said. The City Council voted to condemn an easement a couple of years back, he said.
"Until about two weeks ago, I was under the impression that everything was fine, but then I began receiving calls that the gate had been locked. ... That's when we decided to get involved again. We've condemned an easement but we're still in court to determine how much we should pay for that easement."
What did people do?
"They were jumping over the fence," Yoshimura said.
"It really raised the level of animosity in that neighborhood. I think this nonsense has gone on long enough. No one has the right to prohibit people from accessing a public beach."
