In 1989, the Conservancy assisted the City to rezone the residential neighborhoods north of Hadley Street to protect this vital area from rampant, uncontrolled apartment construction.
[1] The Conservancy spearheaded the preservation of the historic Whittier Depot and the McGee House.
Though primarily a historic preservation organization, the Conservancy is also interested in open space preservation, and is involved in the continuing movement to preserve the Whittier Hills as part of the Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor[2][3] On May 23, 2007, the Conservancy filed suit against the City of Whittier.
This was in response to the Whittier City Council overruling the Historic Resources Commission by a 3-2 vote and approving the demolition of three buildings on the California Domestic Water property, across the street from Whitwood Mall, before an environmental impact report had been filed.
[4][5] The Cal-Domestic Lawsuit has been a major event in recent Whittier politics, as it led to the creation of the Coalition for a Better Whittier, a political action committee founded to support the city in the lawsuit (thereby counteracting the influences of the Conservancy) and to push for further mixed-use development in the City of Whittier.