Stamford residents are debating if Columbus Park should be renamed and Christopher Columbus' statue be removed in light of the national push to remove statues paying tribute to controversial historical figures.

The statue was put up almost 60 years ago by an Italian-American organization to honor Columbus' trip to the new world.

A petition has been signed by close to 1,000 people asking for the statue to be removed and for the park to be renamed. A counter-petition to keep the park as is has more than 1,000 signatures.

Stephen Cerulli says the park is supposed to celebrate Italian Americans, but Columbus is no longer an appropriate symbol for that.

Dr. Alfred Fusco says the Italian-American community stands united against racism, but the statue isn't coming down.

The city tells News 12 it has gotten dozens of emails asking for the statue to come down.

The decision is ultimately in the hands of the Board of Representatives. They say they've asked for legal advice on the situation, and want to make a decision that adequately reflects the community's desires.

Those who want the statue removed say Columbus brought the first transatlantic slaves across the Atlantic Ocean. Those who want the statue to stay say it was originally intended to celebrate all of America, and it has never been a problem until the last few years.

A compromise preserving the statue in a museum and renaming the park after Stamford's first Italian-American mayor Bruno Giordano is being proposed, but the UNICO National Stamford chapter is holding firm.