Talkeetna Riverfront Park Plan

Project Date: 2003
Project Manager: Chris Beck
Client: Talkeetna Community Council
Location: Talkeetna

Talkeetna is a small town just south of Denali National Park at the confluence of the Talkeetna and Susitna Rivers, governed by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The town is set back from the rivers, leaving a 75-acre swath of largely natural land along the water, mostly owned by the Alaska Railroad Corporation. This undeveloped land has become a popular area to camp, launch boats, four-wheel, and fish (both commercially and for personal consumption).

As tourism in Talkeetna continues to grow, this area has increasingly become the subject of controversy as different kinds of users compete for limited space. The prediction of further growth has led the Matanuska-Susitna Borough to develop a plan for the area.

The Talkeetna Community Council hired Agnew::Beck as part of a team to develop a set of guidelines for the area. Starting with a series of public workshops, Agnew::Beck created a set of recommendations for everything from day-use areas to employee housing to regulations on motorized vehicles. The plan was approved by the Talkeetna Community Council, and is now moving through the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly.