Preserving A Small Town Identity

"In this tiny Lake County community hugging the western bank of Lake Apopka, the general store keeps four white rocking chairs out front, just for sittin'. But people in town are a little uneasy these days. Development is closing around Montverde like a vise. Plans for subdivisions -- some of which will have more homes than the town itself -- have pinned it against the lake." Residents fear the new neighborhoods will bring traffic and higher taxes, crime and crowds, and will shatter Montverde's close-knit sense of community, and officials are scrambling to prevent the surrouding development from intruding on their way of life.