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For safety and other reasons, the Stanly County Board of Commissioners voted at the board’s recent retreat to remove the art from in front of the main branch of the Public Library.

Commissioner Brandon King told the board people could get injured on the concrete sculptures. King also mentioned homeless people being found hiding behind statues and drug paraphernalia being hidden or found in the same area. He said the area “is an eyesore.”

County Manager Andy Lucas told commissioners the statues were concrete poured in place and very heavy, adding the pieces would have to be demolished.

The pieces were repainted by the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation with a group of volunteers in 2020. Originally, the art was supposed to be in front of what would be the main entrance to the library. However, the ramp which was built leads up to the main entrance, with most of the sculptures near the book drop area below the main doors on the lower level.

Lucas said the sculptures, which were supposed to reflect different angles of light, did not have working lights on them. He added it would cost $16,500 to remove them.

Lucas said the county will have to have permission from the Albemarle Historic Resources Commission to move forward with the removal. The next meeting of the Albemarle Historic Resources board is at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the meeting room at the Albemarle City Hall.