Cozy Corner Bar in Canton Township will be allowed to remain open but under strict regulations, according to Washington County District Attorney Steven M. Toprani.
Toprani announced Tuesday that President Judge Debbie O'Dell Seneca signed an order last week approving a consent agreement between Cozy Corner and prosecutors that halts further litigation.
In September, Toprani petitioned the court to declare the Cozy Corner Bar a public nuisance and order that it be closed for one year. The court issued a final order declaring Cozy Corner a nuisance following a lengthy nonjury trial. The bar at 22 Euclid Ave. has been closed since Sept. 5.
In April, bar owner Shirley Ann Cossu appealed the lower court decision to the Pennsylvania Superior Court.
Terms of the Cozy Corner's reopening include that it operate only from noon to midnight, with no patrons permitted to enter after 11 p.m.
The owners must allow law enforcement full access at all times. Live entertainment also is restricted.
The owners must install additional lighting and video surveillance equipment, adopt a strict anti-drug policy, prohibit weapons and post rules of patron conduct. Any breach of the agreed-upon rules may result in immediate closure.
"After extensive negotiation, we believe that the parties agreed upon conditions that ensure Cozy Corner's commitment to a safer neighborhood," said Toprani. "As I indicated before, we are closely looking at safety issues surrounding our region's bars. Licensees must take a more active role in securing that goal, or we will."