Developers and engineers for a proposed Amazon distribution center explained environmental impacts Tuesday, as residents raised concerns about jobs and economic impacts.

While some expressed support for the proposed project, which Amazon said will bring 150 to 200 full- and part-time jobs to the area, others worried about working conditions, noise and traffic.

Representatives from Camber Development and VHB, an engineering firm handling permitting, outlined impacts and benefits of the mega-retailer’s project. The distribution center would be a “last-mile” facility, meaning all packages will go directly from the center to peoples’ homes.

Adam Cote, an attorney on the project, said Amazon’s goal is to give people in Maine faster delivery times.

The 159,000-square-foot distribution building would be Maine’s largest. Amazon opened its first site in the state in Caribou last year, a 12,000-square-foot delivery facility. The online retailer also proposed a 158,000 square foot distribution facility in Gorham earlier this year, and crews began work Monday on a 60,000-square-foot warehouse in Hermon.

The edges of the site would remain undeveloped, as they are either home to wetlands or woodlands. About 21 acres of the parcel will be undeveloped land.

Representatives from VHB said the project will require extending public water and poweron Trafton Road. It may require natural gas for heating and cooling systems, which would be done through Summit Natural Gas, and the project will include an onsite subsurface wastewater disposal system.

Despite these required extensions, developers said the site’s proximity to the highway makes it extremely desirable for a distribution center. They also said this location would help minimize traffic.

The parcel of land has been zoned for industrial use since 1987, and is currently owned by Trafton Properties LLC, a Rhode Island-based company.

The project requires a traffic movement permit from the Maine Department of Transportation, but currently Amazon estimates over 80% of employee and van trips coming from and being oriented to I-95. Representatives from VHB could not say how the employee traffic estimate was calculated.

Developers also emphasized that Amazon will not be seeking tax abatements for this facility, and that Waterville and Sidney could expect increased tax revenue as a result.

Waterville city councilor Scott Beale, D-Ward 6, said he was afraid Amazon may be “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

“We currently have people that work at USPS, people that work at UPS, people that work at Walmart, and these are the direct organizations you’re going to be competing against,” Beale said. “What happens if those people lose their jobs … those jobs are union jobs, how do they compare to Amazon jobs?”

Project representatives did not respond to Beale’s question.

City councilor Rebecca Greene, D-Ward 4, asked for a breakdown of how many jobs would be part-time and how many would be full-time, which project representatives could not answer.

Throughout public questions and comments, residents asked that they be able to speak with a direct representative from Amazon.

Kimberly Lindlof, president and CEO of the Mid Maine Chamber of Commerce, said she was pleased to hear Amazon would be working with local vendors, and thanked the representatives for choosing Waterville and Sidney.

Another attendee came in protest of Amazon. Sam Armington, a longtime Waterville resident, held a sign reading “Amazon makes the wealthy wealthier and the poor poorer” throughout the meeting. She said she doesn’t want Amazon present in the area.

Residents also asked repeated questions about data centers, artificial intelligence and how Amazon might use drones and robots.

Developers said Amazon would need entirely different permits to build a data center, and pointed out that the area likely doesn’t have enough electricity to support one.

While many people came with strong opinions about the largest online retailer, Tim Stonesifer is undecided. He’s putting together a “nonpartisan coalition of neighbors” for what he calls “smart growth.”

But he’s not automatically opposed to the project.

“I want answers first,” Stonesifer said. He wants a wholistic sense of the net impact of the project. And for many in Waterville and Sidney, that has yet to come.

Tuesday’s public information session was the first step in the application process, required by the DEP. Developers plan to file an application in the next couple of weeks, then they must go through municipal permitting processes, the DEP review process and acquire building permits. If the project is approved, Sean Hale, director of environmental permitting from VHB said he estimates breaking ground in late fall.

In the meantime, the project application will be made public at Waterville City Hall and Sidney Town Office when it’s filed, and residents can weigh in on the Department of Transportation process by requesting to attend their meetings.