Whittier Union High School District used bond money to renovate certain classroom buildings on campus and this new plaza area was redesigned because of some massive Ash trees with large surface roots that were far larger than their small planting areas and broke up the existing plaza. It was determined that the existing trees unsalvageable because the extent of the new paving work would cause too much damage to the existing trees and make the trees unsafe. The trees were removed and a new landscape introduced with colorful new plantings and a new generation of shade trees in larger planting areas.