NEW ALBANY — Organizers said Wednesday they will proceed with a community garden despite lead contamination being discovered on the Culbertson Avenue site.

The amount of lead found in the soil at 707 Culbertson Ave. is only slightly more than what is considered an acceptable level and measures have already been taken to guard against exposure, Keep New Albany Clean and Green Vice President Jerry Finn said.

The organization is heading the effort to open the Urban Fusion Community Garden at the site, and recently the historic Emery’s Ice Cream Shop building was moved to the property to serve as a planting and canning education center.

The plan is for residents to be able to rent plots in the garden and grow their own produce, and there would also be a community space with flowers and colorful vegetation.

The property is owned by Indiana Landmarks, and is being leased by the Floyd County Historical Society who in turn has sub-leased the lot to Keep New Albany Clean and Green.

Lead paint was commonly used until it was banned in the 1970s, thus it’s not surprising there were levels of the substance discovered on the property when testing was performed recently, Finn said.

“We know the lead levels are present, but they’re not alarmingly high,” he said.

To remediate the contamination, the ground where the elevated lead levels were discovered has been covered with a foot of top soil, Finn said. Also, the garden beds will now be raised and grass planted over the contaminated area to provide a natural barrier, Finn said.

“When we got the results we also got information as far as what you need to do to make sure the garden is safe,” he said. “So the soil that has the lead in it is not the soil that anyone will be digging in or planting vegetables in.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, lead exposure affects the nervous system and can lead to premature births, miscarriages and low birth weight.

In adults, lead exposure can cause hearing and vision impairment, high blood pressure and nerve disorders, according to the EPA.

Tom Springstun, extension educator at the Floyd County Purdue Extension Office, said he spoke with a New Albany Clean and Green representative about the lead contamination and provided them with information on what is considered a safe level as it pertains to soil.

Based on what had been described to him as the measures the organization is taking to address the issue, Springstun said “that would be very much an acceptable way of getting over the lead contamination there.”

A study by the Fort Wayne-based A & L Great Lakes Laboratories that was provided by Springstun asserts that higher concentrations of lead are more likely to be found in leafy vegetables and on the surface of root crops.

Finn said the goal is to have the garden ready by early June, which will allow time for late summer crops such as tomatoes, broccoli and cabbage.

Greg Sekula, director of Indiana Landmarks’ Southern Regional Office, said the organization remains supportive of the Urban Fusion Community Garden, as he added he’s confident project organizers can “seek the necessary guidance” to ensure the property is safe.

The city doesn’t have a financial interest in the community garden lot, but the New Albany Redevelopment Commission did pour $35,000 last year into the purchase and refurbishment of the Peter Weinmann building.

The building is located at the intersection of Eighth Street and Culbertson Avenue on an adjacent lot to the community garden site. The city partnered with Indiana Landmarks, the New Albany Urban Enterprise Zone Association and the Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County on the project.

Sekula confirmed lead testing hasn’t been performed on the Peter Weinmann building site, but he added that an EPA certified contractor will be hired to refurbish the structure and they “will follow lead safe practices.”

The exact use of the building hasn’t been announced, though there have been some indications it will be redeveloped for office and residential tenants.

Carl Malysz, director of community housing initiatives for the city, said there’s “no pile of money lying around” that could be appropriated for lead abatement if it is determined to be necessary for the building.

The Peter Weinmann building property is also owned by Historic Landmarks, and some of the same entities are involved either directly or indirectly with rehabbing the structure and the garden project.

Finn of Keep New Albany Clean and Green is also the executive director of the Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County, and Sekula was one of the people who asked the redevelopment commission to commit to the Peter Weinmann project.

Sekula said this week the gardens and building refurbishment are separate projects that he doesn’t want to tie together.

Malysz said that when the Peter Weinmann building project moves closer to completion, lead testing will likely be required.

“It’s likely their reuse will entail residential,” Malysz said. They “need to do [the testing] with or without lead being found.”