McDonald’s owner warns proposed highway and station projects could displace long-standing Fife restaurant

William Cho, the owner of the McDonald’s franchise on 50 Fourth Avenue East, told the Planning Commission at the March 3 public hearing that the transportation-element changes and regional projects tied to the Sound Transit station analysis could result in the condemnation of his restaurant.

Cho said his restaurant has operated in the community for more than 40 years, employs more than 70 people and provides 24-hour service that he argued would be difficult to replace along the I‑5 corridor. He described a prior experience in Federal Way where Sound Transit threatened condemnation and said project adjustments ultimately allowed the restaurant to remain; he asked Fife staff and the commission to seek ways to avoid displacing long-standing local businesses or to provide reasonable relocation measures.

Director Chris Larson acknowledged the risk that interchange and corridor improvements—particularly the SR 167/50th corridor projects and the collector-distributor lanes discussed with WSDOT and Sound Transit—could affect businesses on the south side of the freeway, including the McDonald’s site. Larson said the city’s public-works team is coordinating on interchange improvements and that project-level design may determine whether particular parcels are affected; he did not offer a final determination at the hearing.

Why it matters

Transportation and station-area projects can require right-of-way changes that affect private businesses. Owners who face potential condemnation typically seek early coordination with agencies, alternatives to on-site replacement or compensation through statutory condemnation processes. Cho asked staff to seek options that preserve the restaurant site or provide reasonable alternatives.

Ending

Staff said public-works and project teams are reviewing alignments and that mitigation or property impacts will be part of the larger corridor project design and environmental review process; no decisions were made at the March 3 hearing.