December

December 18, 2007 | Volume 15, Number 12

Hacienda Services Guide

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Hacienda provides park tenants and residents with a variety of services, amenities, and other benefits, available at your fingertips. Whether you are looking for a particular service, commute solutions, special discount offers to local businesses and regional attractions, or something else, Hacienda has the information you need.

This month, we present a review of Hacienda services. For more information on any of these items, contact the Hacienda Owners Association at (925) 734-6500 or select "Services" from the main menu on the Hacienda web site at www.hacienda.org.

Orientation

Whether you are new to the park or simply want another introduction, you may choose from a number of ways to obtain a thorough overview of the services and benefits available at Hacienda, Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley.

Take a Virtual Tour Through the Hacienda web site you can take a virtual tour of the park and find information on everything ranging from project information to a complete directory of tenants. An interactive map shows details on a variety of park services, while other web pages contain links to a number of resources and materials that can be ordered from an extensive library of information.

Orientation Packages Special orientation packages are available that provide general information on Hacienda as well as details on the programs and services the park offers to tenants and residents. Packages can be customized to meet your needs and along with program descriptions include: a map of Hacienda, a copy of Hacienda's monthly newsletter, NETWORK, brochures providing the location of restaurants, services, retail stores and entertainment throughout Hacienda, as well as materials to learn more about attractions in Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley.

Audio Bulletin Board Get information about the park 24-7 through the park's automated audio bulletin board. Access the main bulletin board by dialing (925) 734-6550 and select specific topic areas such as Transportation (Press 1; Direct (925) 734-6551), Security (Press 2; Direct (925) 734-6552), Business Services (Press 3; Direct (925) 734-6553), Amenities (Press 4; Direct (925) 734-6554), Park Development (Press 5; Direct (925) 734-6555), NETWORK (Press 6; Direct (925) 734-6556).

Customized Presentations Customized presentations on Hacienda, tailored to suit your interests and needs are available. The presentations offer a great way to let new or long-standing employees hear about the latest in Hacienda programs and services. Call the Association's offices, using the numbers above, to make an appointment.

Service Locator

Hacienda offers an impressive array of both business and personal services, all conveniently near your home or business. If you need a bank or credit union, childcare, dry cleaning, entertainment, fitness, health, hotels, mailing services, printing, restaurants, salons, or other retail outlets, they're easy to find. The Hacienda web site's Service Locator makes it easy to learn everything you need to know about these businesses, including their location within the park.

To utilize this online tool, access www.hacienda.org, choose "Services" from the main menu, and "Service Locator" from the drop-down menu. Click on the "Locate Services" button to open the service locator map. Select any of the services listed across the top of the map and icons symbolizing park businesses offering that service will appear on the screen. Highlighting the service icon will identify the business while clicking on the icon will bring up a new window with a description of the business as well as contact information.

Commute Solutions

Hacienda has taken special care in preparing a number of services for commuting to and from the park. Its comprehensive program is nationally recognized for meeting the required conditions to attain the national standard of excellence in commuting programs: a Best Workplaces for Commuters District.

Free Wheels Pass Hacienda employees and residents are entitled to free passes on Wheels, the bus service of the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority. These passes allow for a free ride to and from work (or to and from home, in the case of Hacienda residents) on Wheels buses, which connect the Tri-Valley area to locations throughout Hacienda including each incoming ACE and BART train. The passes may also be used on Wheels I-680 express buses, which provide a direct link for people commuting between Pleasant Hill/Walnut Creek and Hacienda.

New Rider Programs Hacienda has arranged for special New Rider Programs with a number of local transit providers. Interested in trying BART for the first time? You can receive a free, $8 BART ticket. First-time riders on Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) trains can receive a free pass for five consecutive days riding the rails. First-time commuters from Stockton, Manteca, and Tracy can get a free round-trip ticket on the San Joaquin Regional Transit District's comfortable and stylish express buses. Tri-Delta Transit, whose buses run between Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood and Byron to Hacienda, offers a free round-trip ride and a two-for-one discount on a monthly pass for first-time riders. Finally, AC Transit riders on the Line M TransBay Express and Line DB (Dumbarton Bridge) buses can try their first three rides for free under the New Rider program as well.

Transit Hacienda's web site can provide an overview of the transit services both within and connecting to Hacienda, along with a link to each transit provider's web page. You will find information about bus service from Wheels (Tri-Valley), County Connection (the north I-680 corridor), SMART (Stockton, Lathrop, Manteca, and Tracy), and AMTRAK (serving rail stops in the Central Valley), as well as an overview of the rail service offered by BART and ACE. Finally, paratransit riders can find information about services provided by the City of Pleasanton, WHEELS, the East Bay Paratransit Consortium and Industrial Passenger Services. Simply access www.hacienda.org, choose "Services" from the main menu, and then choose "Commute Solutions" and "Transit" from the drop-down menus.

Carpool/Vanpool For those interested in either forming or joining a ridesharing group, Hacienda's web site provides a link to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's 511 RideMatch Service. This free web and phone service helps match solo commuters with carpools or vanpools. By providing your contact information, your typical arrival and departure times from work, and your preference to drive only, ride only or both, you will instantly receive your Match List with names and contact information for commuters in your area.

Hacienda also works with three other organizations offering comprehensive vanpooling programs: VPSI, Enterprise and BusPool. These organizations offer vanpool programs and administrative support services that allow easy creation of vanpools. The companies offer a variety of leases and can work individually with employers and employees to customize convenient vanpool commutes for a variety of group sizes. Hacienda's support doesn't stop there. The park requires all facilities to provide preferential parking spaces to those vehicles used for ridesharing, which means that car and vanpools get preferred parking spots adjacent to the front entry of each building. Special parking permits are issued from the park's office for these spaces.

Guaranteed Ride Home All Hacienda employers, regardless of the size of the company, are eligible to participate in the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency's Guaranteed Ride Home program, which provides users of alternative commutes, including those who take a bus, train or ferry, carpool or vanpool, or who walk or bike, with a free taxi home in the event of an emergency.

Biking and Walking Biking and walking are two transportation modes that can make your 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. A number of the transit services that travel to and from the park, including BART, allow bikes on board. Since Hacienda is a true mixed-use development with housing located within the complex, walking is an increasingly popular alternative to transportation for those people who are both residents and employees here. With that in mind, the park has been constructed to be pedestrian friendly, with wide sidewalks featured throughout the park.

Commuter Choice Hacienda has information on the Commuter Choice Tax Benefit, a federal law passed in 1998 which allows employers to pay up to $110 per month to each employee as a pre-tax benefit for employees to use towards alternative commutes. The net result means that both employer and employee see savings on payroll taxes. For more information on this program as well as links to sites that offer information on implementing Commuter Choice, access www.hacienda.org, choose "Services" from the main menu, and then choose "Commute Solutions" 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 bus lines that run through the park, 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. This information can be delivered to park businesses and residents by placing an order on the Hacienda Transportation Hotline at (925) 734-6551. Materials can also be ordered online by going to www.hacienda.org and choosing "Services" from the main menu, clicking on "Commute Solutions" and "Assistance" from the drop-down menus, and then clicking "Place Materials Order."

Security Services

Hacienda Security officers patrol the park 24/7, serving as a deterrent to crime, accidents, vandalism, and malicious mischief. Their main purpose is to protect private property as well as property managed by the park such as street landscaping and lighting, traffic control systems, and park signs.

Contacting Security Hacienda Security is on call for employees and residents. Depending on the urgency of the request, different means of communicating with Hacienda Security are recommended.

For urgent needs, day or night, you can contact Hacienda Security by dialing (925) 734-6520. Leave a message when prompted and an officer will be paged to respond to your call. For less pressing matters, send an email to security@hacienda.org. That message will then be forwarded to the lead security officer as well as other security personnel.

It's also possible to file a security incident report online. To do so, access www.hacienda.org, choose "Services" from the main menu, and then choose "Security Services" and "Contact Security" from the drop-down menus, then press the button labeled "File Security Incident Report."

Additional Security Assistance In addition to the security services described above, Hacienda provides additional programs as well.

The park offers a free program to all Hacienda projects for security during non-business hours. A special auxiliary patrol checks the exterior doors of each enrolled site one time every night between the hours of 6:00 pm and 6:00 am. In addition to the door checks, enrollees also receive two building perimeter observations. If either of these checks reveal anything out of the ordinary, Hacienda Security will follow customized instructions that are developed by each project. The program can be tailored to the needs of any site, including verifying that specific entries are secure at specific times or monitoring the status of alarm systems. For more information, contact the Hacienda Owners Association at (925) 734-6500.

Hacienda offers a downloadable Emergency Procedures Manual. Access www.hacienda.org, choose "Services" from the main menu, and then choose "Security Services" and "Assistance" from the drop-down menus, then press the button labeled "Download Materials."

The park also features a variety of materials related to security and safety available to tenants and residents at no charge. Information on items ranging from office security surveys to earthquake preparedness are available through the Resources section of the Hacienda web site at www.hacienda.org, by calling the 24-hour Hacienda Security Hotline at (925) 734-6552, or by contacting the Hacienda Owners Association during regular business hours.

Childcare

Hacienda recognizes the importance of childcare and education in supporting the park's families. Hacienda built the Hacienda Child Development Center childcare facility on-site to meet the needs of its families. In addition, Carden West school is a private, non-sectarian, non-profit preschool and elementary school offering education as well as extended care at their Hacienda facility.

The Hacienda Child Development Center, operated by Palo Alto's Early Learning Institute, has received national recognition for its design features and outstanding program which encourages children to explore, create, communicate, and enjoy. The center offers both priority placement and a five percent discount. Carden West School offers a five percent discount toward tuition for fellow park tenants. All Hacienda employees and residents are eligible to participate in the programs.

Special Offers

Hacienda employees and residents are entitled to a variety of special offers on entertainment, theme parks, sporting events, and other items, with new items appearing every month. Recently, special offers have been made available from the Golden State Warriors, Knott's Berry Farm, the Oakland Arena, the Oakland A's, Great America, Pier 39, Raging Waters, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Sea World, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, and Wild Vacations in California, as well as discounts and deals from local businesses and restaurants. To order discount cards and other materials or to extend your own offer to Hacienda, access www.hacienda.org, choose "Services" from the main menu, and then choose "Special Offers" from the drop-down menu.

Be sure to sign up for Hacienda Online! to receive timely notices via email about the latest items in the Special Offers program. Sign up for the Hacienda Online! Hacienda Connection email service by choosing "Hacienda Online!" from the main menu and "Connection" from the drop-down menu. Fill out the form and you are on your way.

Housing

Hacienda has a number of great housing options within the park. In fact, taken in total there are over 1,500 housing units here.

Signature Properties, a developer headquartered in Hacienda which also built Pleasanton's noted Ruby Hill community with its Jack Nicklaus golf course, has constructed several projects of both single and multi-family homes within the park (Avila, Siena, Valencia and Verona). For those seeking rental opportunities, Archstone at Hacienda, built and managed by Archstone-Smith, and Springhouse Apartments provide first class rental opportunities as well.

Housing assistance programs for both home ownership and rental are available to aid people with housing needs who are currently either living or working within Pleasanton. To find out more, select "Government" under the Resources menu and go to the special section on Housing under the City of Pleasanton for details.

Recreation

Hacienda has many recreation opportunities in Hacienda. Within Hacienda you can find parks, sports courts and fields, and even a parcourse.

The Hacienda Linear Park, found among the housing projects off Hacienda Drive, is available for Hacienda tenant and resident use. Almost three acres, the park offers tennis and basketball courts, a picnic area, a tot lot, and open lawn. Owens Plaza Park, which abuts the Linear Park, has over three additional acres and features picnic tables, benches, and a tot lot and can be accessed through a tree-lined entry off Owens Drive. Creekside Park, at nearly seven acres, features 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. This is found on West Las Positas Boulevard between Owens and Stoneridge drives and can also be accessed from the Linear Park via a footbridge over Tassajara Creek. Finally, an 18-station outdoor parcourse is available for walkers or joggers over a 2.3-mile stretch in the park.

In addition to details on these Hacienda recreational features, the park has information and other materials on a range of recreation opportunities, including guides to East Bay Regional Parks, Tri-Valley Recreational Features, Pleasanton Arts and Recreation, and Hacienda Amenities. Contact the Hacienda Owners Association or access their web site for details.

Many recreational events take place in Hacienda throughout the year such as running and cycling events, information fairs and special presentations. Some of the annual events include WalkAmerica, Bike To Work Day, 511 Commute Events, and the Special Olympics Torch Run. Sign up for Hacienda Online! to get free email announcements about upcoming activities of interest.

Also in this issue...