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The large wooden troll, "Isak Hearthstone," made by artist Thomas Dambo during Breckenridge International Festival of the Arts in August, sits in the snow Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, along the Wellington Trail in Breckenridge, Colo. The troll was created during the Breckenridge Festival of the Arts in August, but got so popular that it caused complaints from nearby homeowners due to tourists visiting, and demanded it to be removed. (Hugh Carey/Summit Daily News via AP)

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Thursday morning, Nov. 15, 2018, the Town of Breckenridge employees beheads "Isak Hearthstone," a wooden troll built by artist Thomas Dambo, by a chainsaw to remove it entirely from the Wellington Trail, in Breckenridge, Colo. The troll was created during the Breckenridge Festival of the Arts in August, but got so popular that it caused complaints from nearby homeowners due to tourists visiting, and demanded it to be removed. (Hugh Carey/Summit Daily News via AP)

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Thursday morning, Nov. 15, 2018, the Town of Breckenridge employees beheads "Isak Hearthstone," a wooden troll built by artist Thomas Dambo, by a chainsaw to remove it entirely from the Wellington Trail, in Breckenridge, Colo. The troll was created during the Breckenridge Festival of the Arts in August, but got so popular that it caused complaints from nearby homeowners due to tourists visiting, and demanded it to be removed. (Hugh Carey/Summit Daily News via AP)

Breckenridge, Colorado, removing divisive giant wooden troll

By Associated Press AP

PUBLISHED 2:16 PM ET May. 09, 2019

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. (AP) — The town of Breckenridge in central Colorado is removing an art piece of a troll that has become a tourist attraction but also rankled nearby residents.

The Summit Daily News reports that town employees started removing the 15-foot (4.5-meter) wood troll in the ski resort town Thursday.

The Town Council cited public safety concerns in its Tuesday decision to get rid of the artwork that Danish artist Thomas Dambo was built for a summer arts festival that ended in August.

The original plan was to leave the troll in place as long it could withstand the elements and wasn't vandalized.

However, throngs of troll-seekers have caused numerous problems for some of nearby homeowners, who have complained about illegal parking, littering and a loss of privacy, among other issues.

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Information from: Summit Daily News, http://www.summitdaily.com/

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.