GREENFIELD — Residents filled the seats of the meeting room at the Sanderson Street municipal offices Thursday night to voice their objection to the owners of the former Brandt House seeking a special permit to have sheep on their property.

Ultimately, after nearly three hours total of discussion, public comment and deliberation by the Zoning Board of Appeals, property owners Margaret Eisenhauer and Alexa Beach withdrew their application. The two sheep they had already bought will need to be removed from the property within 30 days.

Last summer, Eisenhauer and Beach bought the former bed and breakfast at 29 Highland Ave. with plans to convert it into a family home.

“We cherish the property and are invested in long-term projects of not only converting the house itself into a family home, but re-envisioning the land … as a self-sustaining environmentally friendly system — a departure from the way it was previously maintained,” Eisenhauer said. “That’s where the sheep come in.”

Unaware it would require special permitting for the Urban/Residential zone they live in, the couple bought two sheep to graze. At a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on Thursday evening, they retroactively sought a special permit for the current sheep, two additional sheep and a guard animal, such as a donkey or llama. The guard animal, they explained, was to deter any potential predators.

Planning and Economic Director Eric Twarog explained that in Massachusetts, residents cannot be denied farming or livestock on lots larger than 5 acres. Communities can, however, decide what to do with properties that are smaller than 5 acres. In Greenfield, the zoning ordinance states that in every district, farms or the keeping of livestock on less than 5 acres requires a special permit.

The application turned out more than a dozen people for public comment, all but one of whom expressed disapproval of the proposal.

“I am concerned with noise, with smell, with the attraction of rodents and predators to the area, and the general property values,” said Jennifer Bryant, who directly abuts the property on Highland Avenue.

Like others, while Bryant was opposed to the addition of farm animals to the neighborhood, she liked the idea of the proposed pollinator garden at the front of the property.

“I did not buy into a farming neighborhood,” said Merrill Gagne, who also lives on Highland Avenue. “I know about biodiversity, pasture management, movable fences … I grew up in a farming community. I didn’t buy a house in a farming community.”

One member of the public supported the applicants, arguing that the character of a neighborhood is subjective. She also advocated for moving toward a more environmentally friendly land management system.

Responding to some of the comments, Eisenhauer, who thanked the residents for speaking up, said there seemed to be anxiety over the idea of a “farm” in the neighborhood.

“We don’t intend to keep a farm or be farmers, only to have a few sheep to graze a lawn … and to offer what I think would be beneficial to its character,” she said.

Beach added that in their interactions with neighbors prior to the meeting, only positive comments had been shared.

“We really had no idea people were upset,” she said.

Zoning Board of Appeals Clerk Peter Wozniak read written public comments into the record, many of which were against the proposal, with a few in favor. Health Director Jennifer Hoffman noted in her comments that she heard concerns about noise and smell.

In their deliberation, board members considered the concern of noise that residents had expressed, as well as the potential to attract predators. Both issues, however, they noted weren’t necessarily enforceable, given the city’s lack of a noise ordinance and no way to track an increased presence of predators. Still, member Mark Maloni — who expressed sympathy for the owners — said it was difficult to ignore the “sheer number of people” who turned out.

Ultimately, Eisenhauer and Beach withdrew their application. Though they will have to remove the sheep from the property within 30 days, they will have the opportunity to return in the future with a revised proposal, if they wish, explained Chair David Singer.

“I know this is tremendously disappointing and heartbreaking for you,” he said.

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.