Salem's Witchcraft Temple Looks To Build New Community Center

SALEM, NH — The Temple of Witchcraft in Salem is proposing to build a new community center on North Policy Street, with gatherings several times a year with up to 100 people in attendance. On Tuesday, some Planning Board members brought up existing traffic issues on the street. The plans for the center are expected to be reviewed again at a future meeting.

The plans include tearing down the existing barn at 49 North Policy St., near Canobie Lake Park, and building a new two-and-a-half-story building in its place. The new center would have a footprint of about 1,900 square feet.

During the review of the plans Tuesday, some Planning Board members were concerned that temple members would be parking on the street on an already busy North Policy Street, if the 35 parking spaces on site were not enough.

"We all know that road is always backed up," said Planning Board member Robert Gibbs. "It goes up to (Interstate) 93. It's a relatively narrow road, there is no sidewalk on the temple side ... I just see a lot of issues with traffic. It seems very difficult to control."

Christopher Penczak, high priest and cofounder of Salem's Temple of Witchcraft, said many people who attend the biggest celebrations at the temple — the largest of which happen nine times per year — typically carpool. He said he does not expect people to use on-street parking, or the nearby park-and-ride off I-93 Exit 2, in case of parking overflow at the temple.

"As a resident there, I cross the street all the time to the opposing sidewalk to go for walks and cross back all the time, it's not that difficult to cross," he said. "The majority of the backup happens when you're either going into the industrial park that's right by the Air Planning building, or, of course, Canobie."

Penczak, who lives on the temple property, said that temple-goers act respectfully to the neighbors, and typically all service attendees leave the premises by 10:30 p.m. Penczak, too, likes his sleep, he said.

"The type of community we have, because we've historically been persecuted, we are very respectful and fairly quiet," he said. "We do have strong etiquette in our tradition, and that's very important to us."

The proposed site plans are expected to be back for review before the Salem Planning Board at a future meeting. Town staff are expected to weigh in on the plans by that time.