Our Future

The Monterey County Planning Commission approved Rancho Cielo’s EIR and Master Plan at their September 8, 2010 meeting.

.

Rancho Cielo will continue to develop and expand the use of the one-hundred acre site to include an array of healthy, enriching activities for all Monterey County at-risk youth and their families. We are excited about the construction of new facilities that will increase the number of people we are able to serve. Thanks to our dedicated partners, donors and volunteers we will be able to greatly expand our educational and recreational offerings to the community.
In addition to the ongoing development of existing programs, we have the following large-scale projects on the horizon:

Our Master Plan

master_plan

Drummond Culinary Academy

Vocational training for the prominent Monterey County Hospitality Industry is the focus of the Drummond Culinary Academy at Rancho Cielo; the renovation of an old building into a premier kitchen, dining room, outdoor patio and wine and beverage training area.  The Academy will train our at-risk youth population in all aspects of restaurant hospitality by functioning as both a classroom and a working restaurant for special events. These trained youth will then be directed into externships and paid jobs upon completing the program, giving them an opportunity for a better life, as well as improving economic development for Monterey County.

Bert Cutino and Ted Balestreri, owners of the Sardine Factory in Monterey, are the visionaries who saw that an old, dilapidated and unused cafeteria could be turned into a state-of-the-art facility. The academy will be available to students as part of a program of vocational training, work experience and job placement services.

The Academy itself will be available to rent for special functions. The open-plan dining room and patio area boast spectacular views over the Salinas Valley. Guests will be able to envision how the land appeared to the first settlers as they take in the rustic landscape.

Ted Taylor Vocational Center

We plan to launch a Capital Campaign soon to finish obtaining the complement of funds required to build the new The Ted Taylor Vocational Center. Architectural plans are being developed and construction is expected to begin in 2011. Once completed, the Ted Taylor Vocational Center will offer four areas of occupational training, each in their own wing of the building:

Sports and Recreational Fields

In answer to the needs of the local community, a number of acres will be dedicated to the development of soccer, baseball and softball fields. When completed, the fields will be available for league play, schools and community recreation activities. A cross-country track is also under development.

Residential Housing

The master plan also includes a small number of residential units. Unfortunately, although the youth at Rancho Cielo make much progress during the day while they are on campus, too many of them have to go home to an unsafe environment. We hope to create a safe transitional housing area with a capacity of approximately 24 youths.