This summer, the National Trust for Historic Preservation identified 100 communities in 20 states as particularly at risk of losing their individual character. Among those in the Washington area were Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Garrett Park, Kensington and Somerset in suburban Maryland, the entire District of Columbia and parts of Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax County in Northern Virginia.

"It's the greatest threat to the character of older neighborhoods since urban renewal and the construction of the interstate highway system 50 years ago," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust.

Carolyn Shawaker, mayor of Garrett Park, shares [the general] feelings of helplessness and blames it on what she sees as a pro-developer attitude among county planners. "That's made it harder for the little communities to do things to protect themselves," she said.

So Shawaker and other local leaders sought aid from Maryland Del. Richard S. Madaleno Jr., (D-Montgomery County), who sponsored a law that will permit about 11 communities in suburban Maryland to get more control of their zoning. He introduced the legislation after attending a Fourth of July picnic in the town of Chevy Chase, finding himself in a flood of 400 local residents walking around emblazoned with "Moratorium Now" stickers.