Stonebridge Meadows is right size for families big and small

For Barbie and Patrick Shields, Stonebridge Meadows proved not only an ideal place to raise their two kids and a steady stream of foster children, but as a Darol Rodrock community, it also served as an inspiration for this amazing family.

“We just moved here in April,” Barbie said of the neighborhood at 16680 S. Lind Road. “Ann Knickrehm showed us this house, and we just fell in love with it. We were able to work with the builder to add an additional bedroom, so we have six bedrooms and 41/2 baths, giving us the space we need so the kids don’t drive each other crazy.”

Currently five foster children — plus the Shield’s own two adopted children — call Stonebridge Meadows home. More than 100 children have passed through their home this year alone. And the welcome they’ve received was simply fantastic, Barbie said.

“When we moved in, the neighbors were so welcoming. This Saturday we’re having a cul-de-sac barbeque, there are movie nights and we have the community pool and playgrounds, which is awesome. There are so many things for the kids to participate in! And the Springhill School District has been phenomenal in helping our children, some of whom have educational challenges.”

In fact, the community’s school, Prairie Creek Elementary School, won the 2013 Governor’s Award. Rodrock has dedicated adjacent land for a new middle school now in the planning stages.

An added bonus? “We met Darol Rodrock at an event in support of foster care this past year,” Barbie said. “It was such an inspiration to the kids, meeting Darol and knowing he, too, came from the foster system and has found such success in life.”

But it’s not just families with young children who’ve come to love Stonebridge Meadows. Ronnie and Carol Elmore moved to the neighborhood to be closer to their grown children.

“I like the pool and playground, while my husband likes the trails and is looking forward to doing more bicycling from our neighborhood,” Carol said. “Also, I like the fact that the landscaping for the common areas is so well done. The black fence is especially attractive. Also, the houses are varied enough that it doesn’t just look like they were mass-produced homes.”

Carol said now that the weather has warmed, they’re especially interested in being able to use all the amenities found in the larger Stonebridge community. “It will give us lots of options!”

In fact, a trail system links Stonebridge Meadows to the other three Stonebridge neighborhoods, offering residents an easy way to make use of the extended community’s impressive four pools and two richly appointed clubhouses complete with workout facilities. Overall, Stonebridge boasts a junior Olympic-size pool and water slide; changing cabanas; pergola-covered grills; picnic areas; hard-surface sport court for basketball, tennis and volleyball; and several well-equipped children’s playgrounds.

“I think the attention to detail in the neighborhoods is especially well done,” Carol added. “All Rodrock neighborhoods are uniform in the image that they create. They’re all in different parts of the area, but their commonality sets them apart from other neighborhoods.”

The protected value and fine finishes of a Rodrock community also attracted Brian and Lisa Coburn, recent transplants from California.

“We moved in here in February,” Lisa said. “We loved all that a Rodrock Development had to offer. We felt so comfortable and met with a builder we thoroughly fell in love with. And we’re so excited to take part in the upcoming neighborhood get-togethers. People are really involved out here — you just don’t get that in California. I really do feel like Darol Rodrock has such a sense of community. It’s incredible how much he likes to give back. We’re extremely happy here.”

With easy access to highways, high-end shopping and entertainment, Stonebridge Meadows is ideally located. And with the more than 1,200 acres of Heritage Park close by, residents can enjoy fishing, boating, bicycling and horseback riding trails, athletic fields, an off-leash dog park and an 18-hole championship golf course and driving range. It’s a community truly dedicated to families of all shapes and sizes with award-winning schools, playgrounds, pools, clubhouses and more, all within an easy stretch of the legs.

This story was originally published June 20, 2014 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Stonebridge Meadows is right size for families big and small."