Readers React: Hollister Ranch is a done deal. People who care about beach access should focus on more winnable fights

To the editor: Enough already! The continuedwhining about the beaches at Hollister Ranch is detracting from the more pertinent issue of access to readily accessible beaches.

It is simply not reasonable to expect the public to pass from a public road through a manned gate, onto a private road for several miles that leads to a beach area with no parking, no restrooms, no facilities, no security and no lifeguards. And that entrance gate is about a 45-minute drive from Santa Barbara, the nearest large city.

To all those upset about the California Coastal Commission’s deal with the Hollister Ranch property owners, save your “ammunition” for a fight that you can win, one that will allow not just a few hardy beachgoers but many, many people to enjoy a day on the sand and in the surf.

Let us get our priorities in order and start with fights that can be won.

Hugh Smart, Santa Barbara

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To the editor: With our current Coastal Commission in the grip of the very rich, more beaches will belong to the wealthy property owners who block public access.

If the sea level increases, as predicted, those same homeowners will come to the taxpayers to save the land beneath their homes. Blame will fall on everything other than their own greedy deeds.

The Hollister Ranch owners are only the tip of the iceberg.

Gary Maxwell, Rancho Mirage

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