W.D. Wells & Associates, Inc. https://www.facebook.com/wdwells.inc Project Entry: Stonegates Reirement Community 2013 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Commercial $25,000 - $75,000 Award Level: Bronze Project Description: Outdoor Dining Area and Walking Paths Background: This project was designed and constructed in several phases beginning in 2007. `Stonegates' is a luxury retirement community located in Greenville, Delaware. Residents are typically Senior citizens with an active lifestyle desiring high quality goods and services. Design Program - Outdoor Dining Area: The Stonegates Retirement Community executive director asked us to design and build a new outdoor dining area adjacent to the `Manor House' which could be accessed and used by the residents. The design should provide several distinct dining "rooms" which would have tables and chairs for the residents' use at lunch and dinner hours. In addition, the seating areas should connect to each other and allow easy pedestrian flow for handicapped and non-handicapped residents. Finally, the area needed to be surrounded by beautiful gardens which would provide seasonal color and inspiration to the residents. Design Program - Walking Paths &. Footbridge: After the completion of the Dining area patios, the project was tremendously successful and the area was heavily used. The residents who lived in distant areas of the community requested that the dining patios be connected to the perimeter areas with a series of asphalt walking paths. In addition, a footbridge would be required to allow passage over a drainage swale. Lighting was requested so the residents could navigate the walkways at night. Additional plantings were placed along the walkways to provide a colorful and interesting journey from the Manor House to the perimeter cottages. Photo Credit: W.D. Wells & Associates, Inc.