MIDDLEBORO — In a lengthy and sometimes heated meeting Tuesday night, neighbors of a proposed warehouse project at 27 Harding St. expressed anger over the traffic and environmental harm they said the development would create.

The Planning Board hearing was the first chance the public had to weigh in on the proposed construction, to be located on 150 acres in north Middleboro near routes 44 and 495. For nearly three hours, residents expressed their opinions, with all speakers pointing out the negative impacts. 

Lincoln Project Company wants to construct three buildings on the site. The first building will feature approximately 147,800 square feet with 48 loading docks and 118 employee parking spaces to the north and 36 employee parking spaces to the east. 

The second building will cover about 145,000 square feet with 50 loading docks. The third building will consist of 380,000 square feet with 75 loading docks.

The developers have agreed to maintain 100 acres as open space. A conservation restriction is proposed for a portion of the property. 

The operation would run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with about 400 truck trips per day, according to the developers. No client has been secured for the warehouses.

The area is already heavily trafficked, some speakers said, and the addition of truck traffic would worsen the situation. 

Planning Board member Tracie Craig-McGee expressed concern for the potential “terrific loss of life’’ to accidents in the area, which would be exacerbated by the additional truck traffic. “If you hit a tractor-trailer, you’re going to lose.’’

Planning Board member Allin Frawley questioned whether the  traffic impact, particularly during the peak season between May and September when Cape-bound traffic hits the road and “495 turns into a parking lot.’’ 

Other concerns were raised about the impact on wildlife in the area, which is largely wooded.

Resident Corey Maloney displayed photos of Eastern box turtles he said has seen in the area where the warehouses are proposed to be built and which he said would be negatively affected by development.

A road proposed to be built through the property would disrupt wildlife migration, Stephanie Friece, a former town resident, said. Wildlife will be pushed to routes 495 and 44, she said, and “we know how that’s going to end.’’

Other concerns were raised about what runoff might do to nearby wells and how much noise would be generated. 

Planning Board Chair Jack Healey urged those in attendance to keep an open mind. He said that some other past proposals for the land were “a lot more onerous than the one you’re looking at right now.’’ This would generate tax revenue, he noted, which the company has estimated at about $672,000 per year, while keeping much of the land protected from future development.

Resident Anita Rodriguez provided a different perspective on the tax gain.

“We’re going to get tax money, but we’re going to spend it on our roads,’’ she said.

The project will be discussed again at a continuation of the public hearing at the Sept. 19 Planning Board meeting.