'Forgotten' neighborhood seeks annexation into Winter Garden: 'It's been neglected'

TILDENVILLE, Fla. - The community of Tildenville is located in unincorporated Orange County – but it may soon become an official part of Winter Garden.

Deloris Ginns told FOX 35 News she loves living in Tildenville and takes pride in her home, but she’s concerned about losing this longtime African American neighborhood to developers that was built in 1876.

"This has been in my family for almost 100 years," Ginns said. "(They're) not just taking way homes, (they're) taking away property from people."

That’s why the Tildenville Neighborhood Association is considering annexing their community into Winter Garden for protection, as well as better services. 

"I would love to see more sidewalks here, and I’d love to see more police in this area. If you call the police it takes them 2 hours to get here," Ginns said. 

Winter Garden City Commissioner Ron Mueller said Tildenville deserves better. 

"It’s a forgotten community. It sits on the edge of Winter Garden, it sits on the edge of Orange County. And because of that, it's just been neglected," he said. "I want to annex Tildenville into Winter Garden. I want them to have the ability to have a government that’s less than 2 miles from them." 

By annexing, Mueller said the community can establish efforts to keep developers from taking over the neighborhood, where around 600 people live. 

"It’s time for us to make a difference in this community. It's time for us to come together and add sidewalks and streets and all the things that this community so desperately needs," Mueller said. 

The average income in the area is $38,000 and 12% of the population live in poverty and Mueller said he hopes to help them. 

"Tildenville is this wonderful African American community. It was developed in 1876. It’s got heritage here, it’s got pride," Mueller said. 

Ginns said she hopes to hold on to her land by annexing into Winter Garden for protection – but on her terms, as well as her neighbors'. 

"I want to be able to tell Winter Garden what we want, not Winter Garden tell us what we need," she said. 

Mueller hopes to have everything in place for annexation by the end of 2023.