Obstacles Threaten Bids for Parkland in Santa Monicas : Fryman Canyon: The head of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy says no-trespassing signs were posted by developer ‘to get more attention and more money’ as he moves to sell the land.

After a dusty hike through Fryman Canyon with an entourage of environmentalists and aides, a state parks agency head accused developer Fred Sahadi Thursday of illegally posting no-trespassing signs and vowed to seek their removal.

Joseph T. Edmiston, executive director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, also speculated that posting the signs was intentionally designed “to ratchet up things to get more attention and more money” as Sahadi jockeys to sell the canyon to the conservancy.

Sahadi could not be reached for a reply.

The conservancy, with help from the city of Los Angeles, has been negotiating to buy the entire canyon just below Mulholland Drive in Studio City from Sahadi and block his plans to build 26 luxury residences on the site.

But after weeks of talks, Sahadi informed Edmiston on Wednesday that he was breaking off negotiations, convinced that the city was unwilling to contribute $2 million toward purchase of the canyon. Sahadi has said his rock-bottom price is $8.7 million.

Councilman Michael Woo, who represents the area, and Edmiston said they believed Sahadi can be brought back to the bargaining table. “It’s just legal posturing,” Woo said.

Meanwhile, Edmiston said he would ask the state attorney general’s office today to sue to prevent Sahadi from posting no-trespassing signs on 32 acres of Fryman Canyon that Edmiston said should belong to the conservancy.

A perspiring Edmiston, his shoes and cuffs dusty, made the pledge as he stood before two no-trespassing signs on a heavily used trail through Fryman Canyon. Conferring with an aide with a detailed topographic map, Edmiston declared that the signs were on property Sahadi was supposed to have deeded to the conservancy in 1986, but never did.

Edmiston aide John Diaz told Edmiston that half a dozen other signs were posted on the same disputed property.

The city of Los Angeles had agreed to see that Sahadi donated the 32 acres to the conservancy for open space as a condition of getting important city land-use approvals. For reasons still unknown, however, the property never was deeded to the conservancy.

Sahadi has said he will deed the property to the conservancy after he has finished his project. Sahadi’s plans show he intends to build a temporary road across the 32 acres. The road is needed for the major grading work he plans on the site.

Edmiston said the conservancy also is likely to sue Sahadi in a separate lawsuit aimed at obtaining title to the 32 acres.

The recent posting of no-trespassing signs, an armed guard at the canyon and the tagging of trees for destruction by construction crews have heightened the anguish of environmentalists seeking to save Fryman.

“Sahadi is trying to antagonize and intimidate the neighbors and others out here so they’ll put pressure on the city to pay him whatever he wants for his property,” said Ann Rushton, staff counsel for the conservancy.

It remains unclear if such a strategy, if it exists, is working.

The friends of Fryman Canyon, however, did meet with Woo Thursday to discuss recent developments. During that meeting, Woo, pressured by opponents of development, urged the activists to lobby Mayor Tom Bradley to come up with the city money needed to make a deal with Sahadi, said Daryce Richman-Cooper and Judy Marx.

Both women, who are among the environmental activists seeking to save Fryman, said they believed there was some merit to Sahadi’s complaints that the city has not yet put up $2 million to help buy the canyon.

Edmiston, before beginning the hike of more than a mile through the canyon Thursday, also told the activists that if the city really believed the canyon was important as a recreational asset, “it doesn’t seem it would be such a difficult thing” for it to come up with the money.