The Old Greenwich Farmers Market has official approval for its new Riverside home. The Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday, July 21, to approve the market's relocation to the St. Catherine of Siena Church parking lot on Riverside Avenue, formalizing an arrangement the market had already begun operating under after construction at its former site forced the move.

The market had started holding its Wednesday sessions at the Riverside location before the vote, with help from the Greenwich Planning and Zoning Department and the Fire, Health and Building departments. The July 21 approval gives the 16-year-old market legal standing to continue using tents on the property for the rest of the season and beyond.

The new site offers roughly 70 on-site parking spaces and 30 more nearby. The market's former location at Living Hope Community Church on West End Avenue in Old Greenwich had long been a challenge because of limited parking.

Dana Lee, the market's co-founder and manager, told commissioners that planned construction at Living Hope forced organizers to search for a new site. Several churches offered space, but St. Catherine's won out.

"Most of the churches in town offered. The one that made the most sense was St. Catherine's, because they have that giant parking lot," Lee said.

The application, filed by the Parish of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes as PLPZ 2026 00252, sought a Final Coastal Site Plan for tents to be erected for longer than 14 days on the 1.524-acre property on Riverside Avenue. The site sits in the R-12, LBR-2 and Coastal Overlay zones.

Commissioners raised concerns about noise for nearby Riverside residents during their review but ultimately gave the project their full support. Chairwoman Margarita Alban told Lee the commission wanted the market to succeed and to be "seamless in the neighborhood."

Riverside resident Ashley Cole spoke in favor of the application, calling the market "a great part of community culture for Greenwich" and praising Lee as "incredibly responsible."

The market hosts 12 to 15 vendors selling Connecticut-grown produce, prepared foods, crafts and other goods each Wednesday from 1 to 5 p.m. Lee told commissioners the market is busiest during its first hour, typically drawing about 50 shoppers before attendance tapers off over the four-hour session.