Besides Sai Baba, were there any other saints living in Shirdi around the time of his return with Chand Patil?

Yes, the Shri Sai Satcharitra clarifies that Shirdi was already a place of spiritual significance before Sai Baba's permanent return. Chapter 5 mentions that other saints had made Shirdi their home prior to this event. Specifically, the text states that a saint named Devidas had already been living in Shirdi for some time. Furthermore, another saint, Janakidas Gosavi, also came to reside in Shirdi later on. This context from Chapter 5 shows that Baba's arrival was not into a spiritual vacuum, but into a village that was already sanctified by the presence of other holy figures, setting the stage for it to become a major pilgrimage center.