That move was part of a discussion on possible changes to the county's landscaping ordinance held at a July 8th workshop meeting in Tavares. Commissioners cannot give final approval to any ordinance in a workshop setting, however, one of the biggest proposed changes is the banning of St. Augustine grass for new development in favor of "drought-tolerant" grasses.

Home landscape inspections would be the ones to determine if builders use the right kind of Florida-friendly plants and landscape design to maximize irrigation efficiency. While Lake County home builders say water conservation is a noble goal they support, the proposed requirements could escalate the landscape cost of new homes and commercial properties by an additional $2,000.

Changing standards for future development might dissuade small business owners from expanding if it means large-scale and expensive landscaping plans.