Tiny Dundee, with its 2,700 residents and acres of filbert trees, has enjoyed growing success in recent years as a wine and food capital. The town now has five upscale restaurants, which on any given evening serve diners from many states and countries. But before Dundee can play the starring role for Oregon that Napa has for California, traffic problems and other woes must be addressed. I have my vision of what this town can be, but it may not be theirs. We just have to focus it in a way to make it happen.
Residents seem to agree.
Last Tuesday, the City Council turned down a proposed zoning change that would have allowed a major gas station to be built in the downtown area. More troublesome is the snaking line of traffic. On weekends, it can back up for miles as travelers negotiate Oregon 99W to or from either the coast or the popular Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde. Two-thirds of the estimated 35,000 cars that weave daily through Dundee come from outside Yamhill County. Area politicians have tried for years to free up the money to build a bypass that would shuttle through traffic around Dundee.