Residents warn of refrigeration and emergency‑response risks despite staff clarification

Several residents used the public comment period to press safety and emergency‑response concerns related to warehouses near an RV park adjacent to the PUD site. A resident identified as Deborah said she researched recent ammonia refrigeration accidents and cited multiple incidents in 2024–2025 to argue the city needs better inspections, evacuation plans and oversight even though staff clarified this project is not a freezer warehouse.

Robert Zeller, a Seabrook resident with a chemistry and chemical‑engineering background who previously served on a planning commission, recommended concrete masonry walls and closer fire‑department coordination. Zeller said the distance between the approved warehouse edge and RV park parking is 15 feet and argued that the proximity warrants both an 8‑foot concrete masonry wall to provide safety and sound abatement and a reassessment of lighting to limit spill toward the RV park. He urged the city to require annual safety reviews and joint planning with the fire department for any future warehouse tenants.

Staff reiterated the PUD limits on intensive operations and that the present amendment addresses exterior materials and schedule rather than operational details such as refrigeration systems. Public commenters, however, asked the commission to consider further protective measures because the PUD amendment could reopen elements of the original approval.