Denver considers 4am nightclub proposal

• Yes, but: Longer hours could also bring new safety and enforcement concerns.

State of play: The Denver City Council is expected to take a preliminary vote on the measure during its Monday meeting.

• The city's licensing and consumer protection department is pitching the plan as a way to improve safety while easing regulations on entertainment venues.

How it works: The proposal would overhaul existing city laws by consolidating 14 licenses into three categories for late-night entertainment venues: limited, nightlife and adult.

Nightlife and adult licenses would allow live entertainment until 4am, city documents show.

• Nightlife licenses would cover venues offering bands, DJs or dancing. Adult licenses would apply to venues like clubs with strippers.

The intrigue: Alcohol service would still end at 2am — following state law.

Caveat: Safety is a city priority, especially in popular entertainment districts like LoDo, where rowdy crowds can sometimes turn violent during late nights.

• The proposal would require entertainment businesses to curb disruptive behavior, manage how patrons enter and leave, and regulate activity within 25 feet of their entrance.

Friction point: Some requirements are drawing criticism from some nightlife operators.

• "I now have an undefined duty with attached liability over a public space that I don't control," Nico Christou, who represents CoClubs, told DBJ.

What's next: A final vote could come July 20.