The Yonkers City Council on Wednesday adopted a written SEQRA findings statement and amended the city zoning map to create a Casino Special District encompassing the Empire City/MGM site, actions council leaders said are intended to support MGM’s pending full gaming license application to New York State.

Council Majority Leader John Rubo, who led the council discussion, said the measure implements the Planning Board’s environmental review and incorporates a community benefits package negotiated with MGM and neighborhood groups. "The community stood up and they said to MGM and to the city of Yonkers, 'help us get to yes,'" Rubo said, summarizing residents' message to council negotiators.

The council and administration said the review covered traffic, flood mitigation, lighting, sound and other impacts; the council majority described additional public-safety and traffic measures MGM agreed to fund, including an extra sector car for the Yonkers Police Department’s Second Precinct. Rubo said a term sheet for the community benefits agreement had been agreed and that final legal details would be completed by counsel and released publicly once the state application is filed.

Minority Leader Rita Breen said she supported the measures but urged continued vigilance for neighborhood impacts. "I want the casino. I want it to prosper, be an asset to the community, but I didn't want to see the neighbors get trampled," Breen said.

Council members said the council worked with neighborhood groups — named in the discussion as the Hyatt Association, Lincoln Park Taxpayers and Beverly Crest Homeowners — during review. Mark Weingarten, identified in the meeting as a representative of MGM, attended the session but did not make a floor statement recorded in the transcript.

The council adopted the SEQRA findings (item 14a) and the zoning map amendment to the newly created Casino Special District (item 14b) by unanimous recorded votes, 6–0.

The council president and majority leader said the city will continue to monitor implementation and publicly post the finalized community benefits agreement after legal review and once MGM’s application is published by the state.

Votes on the related zoning and SEQRA items were taken on the same night; the council recorded no negative votes on the measures discussed in this item.