A lease proposal for development of railroad property near the end of Main Street in Talkeetna has caused concern amongst some locals. Those planning the project say they intend to keep the community’s best interests at heart.
This Thursday, the board of directors for the Alaska Railroad Corporation will consider leasing about eight acres of riverfront property near Downtown Talkeetna for development by a private company, Nordlys LLC. Nordlys is Norwegian for “northern lights.”
The development plan centers on overnight accommodations. Some community members have expressed concern over the proposal, since the riverfront is a popular walking destination for both residents and visitors.
Fifteen years ago, Talkeetna produced a management plan for the riverfront that would include campsites, trails, and other public recreation areas. While the Mat-Su Borough adopted the plan, the Alaska Railroad never did, and the plan has not significantly progressed despite multiple local efforts.
Marne Sheldon, operations manager for the proposed development, says the intent is to stick to the riverfront management plan. She says, initially, there will be ten platforms constructed with prefabricated domes on top.
That’s less than is called for in the riverfront plan. I think the riverfront plan calls out twenty-five. Frankly, we don’t want to do twenty-five. We’re going to do ten to start with and see where it goes from there.
Sheldon says it’s uncertain right now whether or not there will eventually be more platforms and domes on the site. As it stands, the ten sites would take up a relatively small portion of the eight-point-three acre lease. For the rest, Marne Sheldon says the plan is to put in trails and potentially outdoor furniture.
“When you look at what the riverfront plan calls for, it’s trails, pretty places to hang out, community access, and kind of a nice feel for everyone—both guests and the community. That’s the plan right now.”
Public access to the proposed lease site has been the most frequently voiced concern. Locals have raised the question at both Talkeetna Community Council and Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce meetings. Talkeetna business owner Suzanne Rust says she believes the proposal is well intended, but wants to make sure that there is public access to the riverfront near downtown.
“My concern is that Talkeetna is a really special place, and the riverfront is one of the things that makes it a destination, where you can walk quietly and get these amazing views of Denali without a commercial operation being there.”
Rust says she is not opposed to overnight accommodations along the river, but that the proposed spot may not be the right one if it interferes with day use.
“I think it would be wonderful to have a day use plan for that area. Perhaps if they were to look farther down the river, beyond that area, for developing something where it wouldn’t compete with folks’ daily experience.”
Marne Sheldon says facilitating public access to and day use of the riverfront is high on the list of priorities.
“This is a very popular spot for Talkeetna, and I know the consternation of the locals, ‘Oh my gosh, this is going to go away from what I know and love.’ We’re saying no, there’s a way to do this and embrace it to make it for everyone to know and love, and for everybody to use it.”
While locations of trails and other recreational amenities have not been set, Sheldon says Nordlys is willing to take community input to ensure that both locals and potential future guests can coexist on the lease site.
Another question that has been raised is what other commercial ventures, specifically gift shops or eateries might also be built on the site. Marne Sheldon says the only commercial plan is for mid-market overnight accommodations.
“We know and love all the places we hit on Main Street, so we want to share that with others. And, frankly, we don’t want to get into those businesses ourselves, anyway, so let people do what’s already being done well.”
As for the accommodations themselves, the term “glamping” or glamor camping, has been used to describe the proposal. Marne Sheldon says that’s not quite the plan.
“It’s not really glamping, because they’re not tents. They’re hard-sided; they have gorgeous windows that take in the views.”
Sheldon says the domes will also have self-contained water and wastewater storage, and are similar to ones used at another development, Borealis Basecamp, but where those domes are white to match the snowy terrain, the ones that would potentially be placed near the Talkeetna River would be colored to better suit the local flora.
“They can be any color, and frankly, white would be such an eye-sore, so we’re looking at a color that would blend in with the surroundings.”
Another question that has come up is what happens when the river rises. Marne and Robert Sheldon told the Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce earlier this month that, in addition to being elevated, the domes can be hauled out by flatbed and brought back when the water recedes.
Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce has penned a letter of conditional support for the proposal. The letter emphasizes the desire for continued public access and adherence to the riverfront management plan.
The Alaska Railroad board is set to hear the lease proposal at its meeting this Thursday.
