Metroblogging SF has the scoop on some extremely wacky rock sculptures down in Saratoga. Apparently, the municipal government believed that stacking rocks in the middle of a traffic island would be a fantastic idea. The idea here was to promote public art, but Simon Rodia this clearly wasn’t. The rock structures were ugly and were situated within a foot of the actual road, meaning that a rock from one of the structures could easily fall into the road or smash a windshield. The cost to erect this lawsuit-waiting-to-happen was $40,000. The cost to remove it is $15,000.

In other words, the City of Saratoga has now wasted $55,000 over a good deal of rocks. Hopefully, future efforts at public art will face greater aesthetic and financial scrutiny.