Flag Leaf Bakery is one step closer to opening in Greenfield after the Greenfield Planning Board gave conditional approval for the business to move forward at Monday night’s meeting.

The conditions include obtaining  state certification for food sales and a certificate of occupancy, both of which are nearly complete. 

“We are all just very happy to have you here,” said Greenfield Planning Board Chair Rob Walling. 

The conditional approval for the site includes the farm shop operated by Blackfire Farm, which will share the retail space with Flag Leaf. Blackfire Farm owners Douglas and Elizabeth Higley will sublet the space from Melanie McCune and John Ellingwood of  Flag Leaf Bakery.

Both businesses are moving into a newly renovated space at 792 Forest Road, which was built as a blacksmith shop around 1820 and remained the village blacksmith for 100 years.  In 2019, longtime Greenfield resident Ray Cilley purchased and renovated the building, returning part of the space to its original purpose as a blacksmith’s shop. Greenfield resident Vinnie Anfuso runs the Greenfield Forge in the space on the southwest side of the building. 

At a site walk before the hearing, Walling and other members of the Planning Board asked questions about the plans for both businesses, including the number of staff and hours of operation. 

McCune said that for now, Flag Leaf intends to keep the same business hours they had in their Antrim shop, and plan to be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

“We are hoping to expand our days at some point, but for now, we would like to work out the kinks in the new space and settle into it,” McCune said. “Our plan is to start small and grow.” 

McCune and Ellingwood said Flag Leaf will probably have five staff members total between baking and counter service. The new space will include three tables inside for customers, as well as tables outside in summer months. 

Liz Higley said that the plan is for the Blackfire Farm shop to be open the same days and times as Flag Leaf, and that initially, she will be working in the shop. 

“We will be offering our own products, including our own produce and our own grass-fed meat grown on our land on Old Bennington Road,” Higley said. “We may add more hours in the summer growing season when we have more produce available.”

The Blackfire Farm shop will also offer local and regional products from other small farms and producers. 

Several members of the Planning Board asked about parking and “crowd control,” as Flag Leaf’s popularity has brought Saturday morning crowds to Antrim for the past few years. 

McCune said Flag Leaf customers will be able to use the town-owned lot adjacent to the space, and street parking is also available in the center of Greenfield.

“The parking lot here was a big draw. We are hoping it can absorb all the parking,” Ellingwood said. 

McCune said lines will be directed close to the building, away from the street. 

Planning Board member Nick Zotto said that while an additional town-owned parking lot is available across Forest Road, behind the parking lot at Delay’s Harvester Market, most people do not know it is there.

“It would probably be good to get some more signage for that,” Walling said.

McCune said she would add instructions for parking to Flag Leaf’s website. 

Answering questions from the board about delivery trucks, both McCune and Higley said their suppliers drive box trucks and will be able to drive into the back parking lot behind the store.

“There will not be any semis pulling up here, other than maybe when we get our new freezer delivered,” McCune said.

Employees will be directed to park behind the shop. 

At the hearing, Ellingwood said both businesses were hoping to open in mid-to-late April. 

“Late April is probably more realistic,” he said.

Multiple members of the public and members of the Planning Board expressed their support for the businesses coming to Greenfield.

“We absolutely could not do any better than having these businesses come here,” said Maggie Sauvain, owner of Stonegate Farms. “Local farms, local business, they are community-minded – let’s go for it.” 

 Dave Thimmel, who lives next door to the blacksmith shop and did much of the renovations on the building, said he is “thrilled.” 

“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.