Ramsey says bar's entertainment ideas are too country for the city

Motocross races, demolition derbies and rodeos will not be allowed at a Ramsey bar, after the City Council turned down the plan from Diamond's Sports Bar and Grill owner Gary Gruber.

With emotions running high and a packed council chamber waiting for its decision, the Ramsey City Council voted 4-2 Tuesday night to deny the bar's proposal. The vote came after a couple months of debate in the community that also garnered the interest of various national and local organizations that weighed in on the potential environmental impact.

Even though Gruber told the council he was confident he could hold the events without disrupting the neighborhood, several council members said they didn't think the activities fit with the long-term plan for the area along Hwy. 10 -- which includes the Ramsey Town Center project.

"As the city matures, we have to look more at the types of activities in the city and whether or not we have enough open space for them," Mayor Thomas Gamec said.

He pointed to events that have been held in Ramsey in the past -- air shows and mud races -- and how they moved out once more people started moving in.

But Council Member Matt Look, who voted for the bar's plan, said he thinks the city shouldn't try to keep out certain types of activities or businesses.

"We need to be flexible in coming up with plans to support small businesses so we don't push out more businesses," he said.

Some residents in the neighborhood around Diamond's said they wanted the city to take a closer look at the potential environmental effects of the proposed events, so they filed a petition with the state's Environmental Quality Board. In response, the City Council paid $1,900 to hire a consultant who would help determine whether an environmental study was needed, but members decided on Tuesday to deny the request and forgo a full environmental study.

Council Member Sarah Strommen said the environmental concerns were just one of the factors that played a role in her decision to deny the request.

"It was a bigger issue for people about 'What does it say about the city of Ramsey if the proposal goes through?'" she said.