DUNDEE, Ore. — Dundee residents within 100 feet of a property on OR 99W recently received a Notice of Land Use Application detailing a request from Gerald Koh of McDonald’s, LLC to build a quick-serve restaurant with a drive-through on the 1.07-acre plot.
The plans are preliminary, according to the notice sent by the City of Dundee. The application is a Type II administrative review, meaning the development plans will not go before a public hearing or the Planning Commission. Instead, a single city planning official will make the decision administratively following a notice and comment period. Dundee City Administrator Courtney Patterson identified that official as Brad Kilby, AICP, of civil engineering firm Harper, Houf, Peterson, Righellis, Inc.
“As mayor and speaking for the City Council, we value public input,” Dundee Mayor David Ford said. “We are very pleased there’s an interest in this and other topics in town. Having more public involvement means we make better decisions as a community.”
Public comments must be submitted before 5 p.m. on March 31, 2026. Comments may be submitted in person to Dundee City Hall, via first-class mail to PO Box 220, Dundee, OR 97115, or by email to melody.osborne@dundeecity.org.
The notice states that “if any person fails to address the relevant approval criteria with enough detail, they may not be able to appeal to the Land Use Board of Appeals or circuit court on that issue.” A decision will be made by the city following a 14-day comment period.
For a comment to be considered against the development, it must cite specific code sections rather than general objections to the project.
According to Patterson, the proposal first appeared on the city’s docket June 11, 2025, during a pre-application meeting. McDonald’s submitted a formal application Feb. 4, 2026, and the notice was sent to agencies and property owners within 100 feet of the property on March 17.
The timeline for after the proposal is accepted or denied is still being developed, but Ford said an approval would not necessarily mark the end of the process. The city planner’s decision may be appealed, which would bring the matter before the city’s Planning Commission. The commission’s ruling may also be appealed, which would take the decision to Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals, or LUBA.
Against City Code?
A McDonald’s at 225 SE OR 99W in Dundee would be the only national fast food restaurant in town, prompting questions about whether a multinational drive-through operation would comply with city code.
The parcel is zoned Community Commercial (C), not Central Business District (CBD). Drive-through applications are not permitted in the CBD zone, according to Patterson. The Community Commercial (C) zone is broadly described as providing for a wide range of community-serving businesses and mixed-use development.
Eating and drinking establishments are permitted under DMC 17.202.020, and drive-through windows are regulated under DMC 17.203.070.
The code does impose requirements on drive-through establishments, including a requirement to locate the drive-through lane away from the street unless doing so is not feasible, minimum vehicle stacking space, a 15-foot minimum setback from the roadway right-of-way, and additional landscaping and screening standards.
If the development plans satisfy every applicable requirement, the city planner must approve them under the code.
Public Pushback
According to county records, the property at 225 SE Highway 99W is owned by Craig Nies and Gale Hochhalter-Nies, former owners of Dundee Garden Art, which closed in 2023. The property is under contract with McDonald’s, LLC, according to listing agent Philip Higgins of Pacific Crest Real Estate Advisors, who represents the sellers. The sale price will not be disclosed until public records are updated after the sale is finalized.
After the notice circulated, a petition appeared at Red Hills Market‘s register last weekend.
“At Red Hills Market, we’ve spent years helping build what makes Dundee special — a place rooted in local food, connection, and a real sense of community,” Red Hills Market co-owner Michelle Kropf said in a text message to Newsberg. “This proposal isn’t about preference; it’s about non-compliance with our code, real public safety risks, and harm to the businesses that define this town.”
Because of the property’s configuration — bordered by an 80-foot highway in front, a large empty lot to one side, and a rail line in the back — an estimated eight property owners may have received the notice, some on vacant lots.
Dundee resident Mikaela Eaton said she is frustrated by the limited reach of the city’s notification, adding that the development could have gone largely unnoticed given the sparse residential density within 100 feet of the proposed site.
“All of us in the neighborhood across the highway will be directly affected, and we were not contacted,” Eaton said in an email to Newsberg. “I found out on Facebook and contacted any of the neighbors I had communicated with, and not a single person was aware of this proposed land use.”
Some in the area’s wine industry are also weighing in. Lucia Walker, president of the Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association, said the organization opposes the project, citing a lack of compatibility with Dundee’s identity and potential impacts on tourism.
“The Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association represents vineyard, winery, and retail members who are deeply invested in the long-term vitality of this region,” Walker said in an email to Newsberg. “Dundee serves as a gateway to a world-class wine destination, and the development along Highway 99W plays a critical role in shaping that experience.”
Individual wineries also expressed concern about the proposal’s impact on the town.
“Dundee serves as the gateway to the Dundee Hills AVA, a region known for its world-class wine, hospitality, and rural character,” Cramosi Vineyard proprietor and winegrower Sofia Torres-McKay said in a text message to Newsberg. Torres-McKay also lives in Dundee on the winery’s Worden Hill property. “A drive-through fast-food development is inconsistent with this identity. Additionally, the proposed location raises serious safety concerns.”
Kropf added that a national chain drive-through restaurant would alter the character of the town in ways that could prove difficult to reverse.
“Dundee isn’t a place you pass through; it’s a place people come to experience,” Kropf said. “They slow down, they gather, and they choose this town because it feels different. That didn’t happen by accident. A national chain drive-through restaurant in the center of Dundee moves us in the opposite direction, and once that line is crossed, the character of this town is permanently diminished.”
Ford said community engagement has been central to shaping Dundee’s future.
“Over 100 people have, multiple times, attended meetings like Destination Dundee and packed into our multipurpose room at the firestation,” he said. “They’re showing up to share their thoughts about the future of Dundee. People want to engage and share their views. It’s incredibly important.”
Public comments must be submitted before 5 p.m. on March 31, 2026.
Gerald Koh could not be reached by phone before publication.
Corrections Tuesday, March 24:
- 8:07 a.m. — Michelle Kropf’s name was initially misspelled as Kopf. Newsberg regrets the error.
- 2:33 p.m. — Dundee Mayor David Ford initially said that if the decision were appealed after the planning commission ruling, it would go to Dundee City Council. The appealed decision would actually go to the Oregon LUBA, not the city council.
