Hacienda Services Guide

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

From commuting help to a directory of park restaurants to discount group rates at regional attractions, the services available to Hacienda employees and residents represent some of the finest amenities in the Bay Area. The summary below outlines the gamut of offerings and tells you how to take advantage of them by ordering informational materials or directly contacting the providers.

You can also visit the Hacienda website at www.hacienda.org or contact the Hacienda Owners Association at (925) 734-6500 for more details.

Orientation

If you are a newcomer to the park, or are interested in an update, there are several options for obtaining current details on the services and benefits available in Hacienda, Pleasanton, and the Tri-Valley.

Take a Virtual Tour The Hacienda website can take you on a virtual tour of the park, providing information on everything from Hacienda's properties to the park's tenants. An interactive map can direct you to specific park services, while other web pages link to resources and materials you can order.

Orientation Packages Special orientation packages provide general information on Hacienda as well as details on the programs and services available to tenants and residents. Packages, which can be customized to meet your needs, typically include: a map of Hacienda; a copy of the park's monthly newsletter, NETWORK; fliers on park services; a brochure listing the location of restaurants, services, retail stores, and entertainment throughout Hacienda; as well as materials on attractions in Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley.

Audio Bulletin Board Get information about the park 24-7 through the park's automated phone information center. Access the main bulletin board by dialing (925) 734-6550 and select from these topics: Transportation (Press 1; Direct (925) 734-6551), Security (Press 2; Direct (925) 734-6552), Business Support Services (Press 3; Direct (925) 734-6553), Discount Program (Press 4; Direct (925) 734-6554), Park Development (Press 5; Direct (925) 734-6555), and NETWORK (Press 6; Direct (925) 734-6556).

Customized Presentations Customized presentations on Hacienda, tailored to suit your needs or interests, are available. Whether you are new to the park or simply want to inform new or long-standing employees about the latest in park programs and services, the Hacienda Owners Association's staff is ready to meet with you and provide you with all the details. Call (925) 734-6500 for assistance.

Service Locator

With four shopping centers, more than 75 retail stores and restaurants, and 450 individual companies, Hacienda offers an impressive array of both business and personal services. The Service Locator on the Hacienda website makes it easy to find businesses in 12 different categories, from medical facilities to beauty salons to dry cleaners.

To access this online tool, go to www.hacienda.org, choose Reference from the main menu, and Service Locator from the drop-down menu. Click the Locate Services button to open the service locator map, and then select any of the services listed across the top of the map. Highlight the service icon to display the business address, description, and contact information.

Commute Solutions

Hacienda has expended significant effort in establishing a broad network of services for commuting to and from the park. Its comprehensive program has been recognized for meeting the required conditions to attain the national standard of excellence in commuting programs.

Full details of these services are available on the Hacienda website. Select Services, then Tenants, then Commute Solutions. An overview of the options is below.

Free WHEELS ECO Passes Available for Hacienda employees and residents of the Archstone, Avila, Siena, and Verona communities. An ECO Pass entitles the authorized bearer to use the WHEELS system seven days a week, 365 days a year, for free.

New Rider Programs Offer incentives to try the services of six different transit systems: ACE, the Altamont Commuter Express;. AC Transit's Line M TransBay Express and Line DB (Dumbarton Bridge) TransBay Express; BART; the County Connection; San Joaquin's RTD Interregional Service; and the Tri-Delta Transit Delta Express bus network.

Transit Services Transit services both within and connecting to the park are described on the website, along with links to each transit provider's web page for schedules and ticket prices. Paratransit riders can also find information about services provided by the City of Pleasanton, WHEELS, East Bay Paratransit Consortium, and Industrial Passenger Services.

Carpool/Vanpool Hacienda is a strong supporter of ridesharing. Carpools (two to six people driving to work together regularly) and vanpools (seven or more people commuting together) are encouraged and assisted in many ways. The park makes available information on car- and van- pool formation and the cost advantages of ridesharing. Hacienda works closely with 511 Regional Rideshare Program to allow employees and residents easy access to the region's largest commuting database. Special permits for preferential parking spaces in Hacienda are available for vehicles used for ridesharing.

Guaranteed Ride Home Promotes the use of alternative transportation by ensuring Hacienda employees they will not be stranded in an emergency. Park employers must first register before offering the benefit to employees. Enrollment forms and detailed program descriptions are available online.

Biking and Walking Biking and walking can make the commute a healthy one. Hacienda's wide, well-lit streets have been designed to accommodate bike riders, and each of the park's office buildings feature bike racks. Many Hacienda facilities also provide showers for those who bike or exercise during the workday. Many of the transit systems that service the park, including BART, allow bikes on board. Reflecting its status as a true mixed-use development, the park has also been constructed to be pedestrian friendly, with generous sidewalks that encourage walking.

Commuter Choice Hacienda has information on the Commuter Choice Tax Benefit, the federal provision allowing employers to pay each employee a specified amount as a pre-tax benefit to be used for alternative commutes. For more information on this program, including links to sites that offer implementation help, select References from the main menu at www.hacienda.org, and then choose Resources, Transportation, and Commuter Choice from the drop-down menus.

Additional Transit Assistance Hacienda also serves as a clearinghouse for more detailed information on local transit services and other service providers. The park has schedules for each of the servicing bus lines, maps that show where to find bike corridors in the East Bay, information on where to buy BART or ACE tickets, and brochures and other information on carpooling and vanpooling. Materials can be ordered online by going to www.hacienda.org and choosing Services from the main menu, clicking Tenants, Commute Solutions, and Assistance from the drop-down menus, and then clicking Place Materials Order. This information can also be delivered to park businesses and residents by placing an order on the Hacienda Transportation Hotline at (925) 734-6551.

Security

Hacienda's multi-faceted security program is designed to help make the park secure and safe. Patrols circulate throughout the park 24 hours a day, while tenants and residents can avail themselves of everything from educational programs to free security and safety inspections.

Hacienda Security is on call for employees and residents. For urgent needs, day or night, dial (925) 734-6520, leave a message at the prompt, and an officer will be paged to respond to your call. Security requests can also be made by email at security@hacienda.org. That message will then be forwarded to the lead security officer as well as other security personnel. Security incident reports can also be filed online. Choose Services from the main Hacienda menu; choose Tenants, then Security Services from the drop-down menus; and then click File Security Incident Report.

While not directly responsible for the security of individual sites or businesses, Hacienda Security officers perform cursory surveillance as a part of their daily schedule. They are also available to respond to a variety of security concerns ranging from nuisance issues to property management concerns.

Hacienda has a system of Security Coordinators throughout the park, comprised of a designated person at each office to act as a liaison to the security program. Security officers communicate with and periodically visit these coordinators to distribute security materials, bulletins, and special information. Coordinators also serve as contacts in emergencies or for communication passed along from local agencies such as the police or fire departments.

Hacienda Security also offers a free program for extra services during non-business hours. A special auxiliary patrol checks the exterior doors of each enrolled site one time every night between 7:00 pm and 7:00 am. Enrollees also receive two building perimeter observations. If either of these checks reveal anything out of the ordinary, the Security Officers then follow customized instructions developed by each project. Special assignments may be given to the Supplemental Security patrol, for example verifying that specific entries are secure at specific times or monitoring the status of alarm systems. For more information, contact the Association at (925) 734-6500.

A collection of materials on various security and safety needs is available to any park tenant, employee, or owner. Download an Adobe Acrobat version of the comprehensive Emergency Procedures Manual by clicking the Order Security Materials option from the Security Services section of the Services menu. Other materials can be ordered or viewed online through the Resources section or via the Hacienda 24-hour Security Hotline at (925) 734-6552.

Childcare

Hacienda has long recognized the importance of childcare and education in supporting the park's families. The Hacienda Child Development Center was built on-site to offer care and instruction for infants through kindergartners. Likewise, Carden West School provides preschool and elementary school education as well as extended care at its Hacienda facility.

Through a special arrangement, Hacienda employees and residents can take advantage of priority placement and a discount at the Child Development Center. Carden West School offers a tuition discount for fellow park tenants.

Special Offers

Hacienda employees and residents are entitled to special deals and discounts for a wide variety of entertainment, from a visit to the Academy of Sciences to a seat at the San Jose Earthquakes soccer match. The list of 27 current possibilities can be viewed in the Special Offers section of the Services menu. New items are added regularly. Businesses can also extend their own offers to the Hacienda community.

Included among the Special Offers is the Hacienda nuAlerts Community, a free online service that helps Hacienda tenants promote themselves, allowing them to immediately communicate with one another about important business-to-business opportunities, news, events, and special offers. Expanded services are available at a discounted rate. Find more information by selecting Business from the main menu, then select Networking, then nuAlerts.

Be sure to sign up for Hacienda Online! to receive timely email notices about the latest participants in the Special Offers program. Simply choose Hacienda Online! from the Reference menu and Connection from the drop-down menu, and fill out the form.

Housing

Hacienda's residential community encompasses approximately 1,500 housing units, divided among single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments. This diversity offers a range of choices in size and affordability.

Signature Properties, the Hacienda-headquartered developer of Pleasanton's noted Ruby Hill community, also built the park's four, for-sale projects: Avila, Siena, Valencia, and Verona. Find first-class rental housing at the 354-unit Springhouse Apartments, or at Archstone at Hacienda, built and managed by Archstone-Smith.

Both home ownership and rental assistance programs are available for people with housing needs who are currently either living or working within Pleasanton. To learn more, select Resources from the Reference menu, then Government and Local from the drop-down menus, and go to the special section on Housing under the City of Pleasanton.

Recreation

A world-class development needs first-class opportunities for recreation and socialization, and Hacienda has much to offer in the form of outdoor spaces and places to engage outside the office.

The Linear Park, a private greenbelt nestled among the housing along Hacienda Drive, is available for Hacienda tenant and resident use. At almost three acres, the park offers tennis and basketball courts, a picnic area, a tot lot, and open lawn. Owens Plaza Park, abutting the Linear Park and entered from Owens Drive, also features picnic tables, benches, and a tot lot. The larger Creekside Park, on W. Las Positas Boulevard between Owens and Stoneridge Drives, boasts an open lawn for soccer and softball as well as basketball courts, a tennis practice area, a sand volleyball court, and a play area with swings. Creekside Park can also be accessed from the Linear Park via a footbridge over Tassajara Creek.

An 18-station outdoor parcourse for walkers and joggers covers a 2.3 mile stretch within the park. Maps of the parcourse route can be downloaded from the Order Materials section of the main menu.

Further information on recreation opportunities, including guides to local and regional parks, can be obtained by selecting the "Order Recreation Guides' option from the Recreation section of the Services menu.

Hacienda is also home to many recreational events throughout the year, from running and cycling activities to information fairs and special presentations. Some of the annual happenings include the Pleasanton Green Scene Fair, WalkAmerica, Bike To Work Day, and 511 Commute Events. Check the Calendar or sign up for Hacienda Online! to get free email announcements about upcoming activities of interest.