Nothing is free anymore.

Currently, the staff of the Lancaster County Agricultural Preserve Board does not charge owners of preserved farms when it reviews proposals from owners looking to subdivide and/or develop part of their property or launch farm-based businesses.

All of these activities are permitted on preserved farms, but only if they meet certain criteria established in the preservation agreements and in township ordinances.

And someone has to take the time to review both the land owner's proposal and the established criteria to make sure the two fit.

As they say, time is money.

"Every other agency that conducts these types of reviews — zoning boards, planning commissions — charges fees, except us," said Matt Knepper, executive director of the Agricultural Preserve Board. "And it takes up a lot of our time."

At the weekly meeting of the county commissioners Wednesday morning, Knepper is scheduled to ask the board for permission to create a schedule of fees, ranging from $50 to $250, for reviews conducted by his staff.

He said the fees would generate about $3,000 per year for his department.

"That's not a lot of money, but it's something, and in this (fiscal) environment, every little bit helps," he said.

The ag preserve board's three-person staff currently monitors nearly 770 preserved farms. More are added to the list every year.

Certain activities are allowed on all of those properties, in accordance with the preservation agreements, according to Knepper.

If a landowner wants to carve off a piece of his property to build a new house for himself or a child, or if he wants to put an addition onto his house, he has to have the plans reviewed and approved by the ag preserve board.

If a landowner wants to open a small welding shop or produce stand on the farm, that, too, must be reviewed by staff and might require board approval.

"Depending on how complete a proposal is, we could have people spending many, many hours over the course of several days on one review from start to finish," Knepper said.

Under the fee proposal, which Knepper said was drafted by the ag preserve board members, landowners would be charged $50 to submit a subdivision or land-development proposal.

Additional fees would be charged for reviewing the following plans:

• Agricultural subdivision, residential subdivision and lot add-on, $250 each.

• Construction of an additional home, replacement of an existing home, renovation or modification of an existing home and conversion of an existing nonresidential structure to a home, $50 each.

A $50 fee would be charged to a landowner submitting a proposal to establish a farm-based business, and an additional fee of $200 would be charged if a review and approval by the ag preserve board are required.

preilly@lnpnews.com