Hacienda Services Guide

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Hacienda employees and residents enjoy some of the finest services available in the Bay Area. Whether you are looking for help with your commute, a list of park restaurants, or discount group rates at regional attractions, the information you need is at your fingertips in the summary below. For further details on any of these items, select Services from the main menu on the Hacienda web site at www.hacienda.org or contact the Hacienda Owners Association at (925) 734-6500.

Orientation

If you are a newcomer to the park, or simply want 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 web site 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 475 individual companies, Hacienda offers an impressive array of both business and personal services. The Service Locator on the Hacienda web site makes it easy to find businesses in 12 different categories, from banks to childcare to dry cleaners.

To access this online tool, go to www.hacienda.org, choose Services 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 taken special care in preparing a number 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: a Best Workplaces for Commuters District.

Free WHEELS Pass Free WHEELS ECO Passes are available for Hacienda employees and residents of the Archstone, Avila, Siena, and Verona communities. ECO Passes entitle the authorized bearer to use the WHEELS system seven days a week, 365 days a year, for free. WHEELS buses connect the Tri-Valley area to locations throughout Hacienda, including incoming ACE and BART trains during the peak commute hours. WHEELS Route 70X provides express bus service through the I-680 corridor, a direct link for commuting between Hacienda and the Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill BART stations as well as Kaiser in Walnut Creek.

New Rider Programs Six different transit systems offer incentives to commuters to try their services. ACE, the Altamont Commuter Express, offers direct access from the San Joaquin Valley. First-time riders receive three free days to test drive the ACE train. AC Transit's Line M TransBay Express and Line DB (Dumbarton Bridge) TransBay Express offer the first three rides for free under the New Rider program. First-time BART riders can request a free ticket as an incentive to try the Bay Area's most comprehensive rail system. The County Connection, which provides transit and paratransit services within central Contra Costa County, offers a one-way ride for free to new riders. Commuters from Stockton, Manteca, and Tracy can travel to Hacienda in comfort and style with San Joaquin's RTD Interregional Service, with free round-trip tickets for first-time riders. Finally, new riders can get a free trial trip on a Tri-Delta Transit Delta Express bus from Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Byron, and Mountain House to the Tri-Valley.

Transit Services Hacienda's web site provides an overview of the transit services both within and connecting to the park, along with links to each transit provider's web page for schedules and ticket prices. The largest component of Hacienda's transportation program is a transit subsidy provided for the local WHEELS lines.The park is also well served by transit from outlying areas. County Connection services the North I-680 corridor with a number of bus lines terminating at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station. Bus service has been instituted from Stockton, Lathrop, Manteca, and Tracy to Hacienda in conjunction with SMART (San Joaquin Regional Transit District). Modesto area residents can commute to Hacienda on MAX buses using MAX's Modesto BART Express. Commuters from Antioch, Brentwood, Pittsburg, and Contra Costa County can ride the Delta Express bus from Tri-Delta Transit. AMTRAK buses from rail stations in the central valley also carry passengers to destinations within the park. Rail service is also available through BART and ACE, the Altamont Commuter Express. Paratransit riders can also find information about services provided by the City of Pleasanton, WHEELS, East Bay Paratransit Consortium, and Industrial Passenger Services on the Hacienda web site.

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 routinely makes available information on car- and vanpool formation and the cost advantages of ridesharing. Information is disseminated through special mailings, Hacienda's web site, and articles within the park's NETWORK newsletter. Hacienda works closely with 511 Regional Rideshare Program to allow employees and residents easy access to the region's largest commuting database. Those interested in joining or forming a carpool or vanpool simply fill out one of 511's matchlist forms outlining their commute preferences. Based on the information provided, 511 Regional Rideshare Program will forward a list of people with similar commute patterns.

Hacienda also works with two other organizations offering comprehensive vanpooling programs, including administrative support. VPSI and Enterprise offer a variety of leasing arrangements and can work individually with employers and employees to customize convenient vanpool commutes for groups of different sizes. A special parking location in the park is another incentive for ridesharing.

Guaranteed Ride Home Guaranteed Ride Home promotes the use of alternative transportation by ensuring Hacienda employees they will not be stranded in an emergency. Park employers, regardless of size, are eligible for this program from the Alameda County Congestion Management Authority, but they must first register before offering the benefit to employees. Enrollment forms and detailed program descriptions are available online under the Commute Solutions /Transit section of the Services menu.

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 up to $230 per month as a pre-tax benefit used towards alternative commutes. For more information on this program, as well as links to sites that offer implementation help, select Resources from the main menu at www.hacienda.org, and then choose 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. 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 Commute Solutions and Assistance from the drop-down menus, and then clicking Place Materials Order.

Security

Hacienda's multi-faceted security program is designed to help make the park secure and safe. Patrols provide comprehensive circulation 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 be filed online. Choose Services from the main Hacienda menu; choose Security Services and Contact Security 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 a pdf 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 kindergarteners. 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 five percent discount toward tuition for fellow park tenants.

Special Offers

Hacienda employees and residents are entitled to special deals and discounts for a wide variety of entertainment for group or personal gatherings. A list of 20 different possibilities, from theme parks to sporting events, is available from the Special Offers section of the Services menu, and new items are added regularly. Businesses can also extend their own offers to the Hacienda community.

Be sure to sign up for Hacienda Online! to receive timely email notices about the latest items in the Special Offers program. Simply choose "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's residential community encompasses approximately 1,500 housing units, spread out 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, with its Jack Nicklaus golf course, 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. These programs provide a wide range of assistance across a variety of housing types. To learn more about all of these programs, select Government from the Resources menu, then select Local from the drop-down menu, 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 West 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 East Bay Regional Parks and Pleasanton Arts and Recreation, 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 WalkAmerica, Bike To Work Day, 511 Commute Events, and the Special Olympics Torch Run. Check the Calendar or sign up for Hacienda Online! to get free email announcements about upcoming activities of interest.

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