A Bingo Exemption Granted to Whites School of the Arts Community Developmental Programs
White's School of the Arts Community Developmental Programs, a youth center located on the city's south side can keep on holding its three times a week bingo fundraiser as the youth center has won a zoning exemption from the Fort Wayne Board of Zoning Appeals, saving the source of the center's revenue stream.
The Youth Center, which can be found on 2700 E. Maple Grove Avenue, holds state sanctioned bingo games like the games that are held every Friday at 11:30 p.m. and ends at 3:00 a.m. in the morning the next day.
Center officials say that the revenue that they earned from this bingo games will cover up to 30% percent of the center's cost as it attracts more customers in the area. White's School earns $350 dollars in profits each bingo night.
Last Thursday Night, after a crucial appeal by the Youth Center that lasted nearly two hours before the Fort Wayne Board of Zoning appeals, White's School have been granted a zoning exemption.
The Board allowed them to continue their bingo operations aside from their other planned activities for their coming months like a 24 hour day care service and several other activities for the youth.
White's School of the Arts Community Developmental Programs land is located in the 94,500 square foot building which used to be where the Village Woods Middle School is, but in 2002, the East Allen County School closed it.
In January of this year, The EACS gave the land to Ralph White, a substitute teacher and martial arts instructor and the permission to use it continuously for three years.
But the problem is, the center's property is zoned for residential used, which is usually where schools, churches and law enforcement facilties are built on. The former middle school was fine with the zoning but not White's because it is classified as a "Neighborhood Facility" and in a neighborhood facility, holding bingo operations is forbidden.
Fort Wayne Board of Zoning Appeals decided to allow White's School a special exemption so that the youth center can continue ist activities that are not usually allow in the zoning that it belongs to.
The revenue that the school earned from its bingo operations goes directly back to the school's programs such as music courses, taekwondo, computer classes and cultural arts. Its food co-op programs feeds almost 4,500 les fortunate children everyday.