Fences blocking trail removed

Barbed-wire fencing and no trespassing signs that a property owner installed blocking access to a portions of a popular hiking trail between Shell Beach and Avila Beach have been removed.

Property owner Rob McCarthy had the fencing and signs taken down this week, after receiving a letter from the Coastal Commission telling him he must do so or face stiff penalties.

In a letter dated Feb. 20, Coastal Commission code enforcement staff told McCarthy, who lives in Texas but plans to retire in Avila Beach, that he had until March 10 to remove the fencing, signs and gate that were blocking access to the trail.

McCarthy erected the fencing and signs earlier this year on his property just east of Cave Landing Road, angering the public which has used the Ontario Ridge looping trail for years. He maintained he blocked portions of the path because of safety concerns for those individuals that use it.

The county didnt require McCarthy to obtain coastal permits for the fencing project, but the commission disagreed earlier this month and ruled McCarthy violated the states Coastal Act by blocking the trail.

A county easement also exists on the property that allows the public to legally use the pathway.

Coastal Commission staff is expected to inspect McCarthys property in the near future to determine if the man has complied with the agencys demands.

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Fences blocking trail removed