Protecting the Spirit of the West Side Preservation

Kate Wood is a busy woman.

She was just named president of the preservation group Landmark West and is in the finishing stages of completing a book about the city’s interior landmarks. This in addition to being a mother to her two-year-old son and teaching in Columbia University’s preservation program.

Asked what the biggest preservation issue on the West Side will be in 2015, Wood pointed to the unpredictability that comes with much of what Landmark West does.

“You just never know,” said Wood. “It’s not like one specific issue, and that’s why Landmark West has to stay so nimble. We have to be ready to respond to whatever it is that comes up.”

That nimbleness was on display earlier this year when word trickled out that the Landmark Preservation Commission planned to remove almost a hundred potential landmarks and two potential historic districts from consideration on their hearing calendar. A site’s presence on the calendar offers it a measure of protection, as the Dept. of Buildings informs the LPC if a demolition permit has been filed for any site that is under consideration.

In a matter of days Landmark West and several other local and state preservation groups mobilized against the plan and succeeded in getting the LPC to reconsider.

And so, Wood characterizes the organization as a watchdog.

“We’re insuring that the Upper West Side remains beautiful and livable for the people who live here now, and use these neighborhoods now, and for generations to come,” said Wood. “Part of that is to make sure development is sensitive to the great character of the neighborhood.”

Wood was the executive director of Landmark West from 2001-2012 before taking over as president from Arlene West earlier this month.

“I worked hand-in-hand with Arlene and she’s been a great mentor to me as I grew into that role. I took the lead on advocacy campaigns and ran the day-to-day operations of Landmark West,” said Wood.

Wood also oversaw special projects like Landmark West’s smart phone app that provides a walking tour of the Upper West Side.

Wood said those experiences paved the way for her assuming the leadership of the organization.

“I think in the course of that I proved that I have the mettle and the long term vision for the organization, for the neighborhood, and the ability to work with people and forge relationships with people who care about the future of the neighborhood as much as I do,” said Wood.

Wood said she thinks of preservation as a form of “sustainable development,” and that advocacy is really about raising awareness about preservation and its importance to sustainable neighborhoods. In 2015, she’s looking forward to continuing Landmark West’s educational programs.

“We do a classroom program for kids that reaches over 1,500 students per year,” said Wood. “We teach them about architectural vocabulary, neighborhood history, civic engagement and all of these that they’re not necessarily getting in their regular curriculum. To us, that’s 1,500-plus future property owners, developers, business owners and decision makers who understand the value of preservation to our city. That’s a really important part of our work; we’re oriented towards the future.”

Her book, set to be released in the fall of 2015, is about New York’s interior landmarks. A related exhibition will be on display at the New York School of Interior Design in March and April of next year.

In taking the torch at Landmark West from Arlene Simon, Wood is assuming the mantle as a sort of gatekeeper to the landscape of the Upper West Side. The importance of the group’s work and the impact that development has on the city are among the reasons she’s one of the West Side Spirit’s People to Watch in 2015.

“The recession is officially over so development is in the works for every corner of the neighborhood, everything from in-fill to mega towers are being planned as we speak,” said Wood. “So Landmark West is going to remain vigilant as we always have on all of these issues.”