BROOKHAVEN, Ga. -- The Pink Pony will stay open for at least six more years.
Brookhaven Mayor J. Max Davis says the settlement gives the adult club six years to find a new business model or move. After that, Brookhaven will not allow alcohol and nude dancers in the same place.
"The words speak for themselves," Davis said. "They mean things, they're written in black and white. And the agreement says it ends in six years."
The Pink Pony says it wants to be a good neighbor.
"We would hope that we were such a good neighbor and so important to the community that once again the citizens of Brookhaven will save us," said the Pink Pony's attorney, Aubrey Villines.
The business has agreed to start self-reporting any problems. It will also pay the city $225,000 a year to hire more police officers as well as buy equipment to keep an eye on it.
"When the city of Brookhaven sent in private investigators into the Pink Pony, we found repeated violations of both city and state laws of selling sex, illegal sex going on," said Brookhaven City Councilmember Rebecca Chase-Williams.
The Pink Pony denies the allegation, but has agreed to several changes, including removing doors to private rooms to make the business more transparent.
"If the city comes in and finds we've something wrong and did not turn it in, we could lose our license, they could terminate the agreement," Villines said.
The strip club has agreed to drop any other lawsuits it had planned and reimburse the city nearly $300,000 in legal fees.
The club also announced that it will be deeding land to the city, which the city would like to make a recreational trail which eventually connects with the Atlanta Beltline.
