Guerrera Continues To Fight Against 60 West St. But Meets Opposition

Rocky Hill State Rep. Antonio Guerrera (D- Rocky Hill) has continued to fight against the state opening a nursing home for terminally ill prisoners who are near the end of their lives.

The legislative session is coming to a close and no action has been taken on his proposed bill.

Guerrera's bill would prevent the state from placing an inmate in a town or city without the consent of the local zoning board. The Town of Rocky Hill fought this proposal when the state by-passed the Rocky Hill Planning and Zoning Commission saying the state had the authority to do so.

Guerrera brought this before legislation again on Friday night but the bill was tabled and not acted on.

Guerrera was pressed on the bill by his own party and he was asked by another Democratic Rep. "If not in Rocky Hill where should we put these people?"

The Rocky Hill Rep. and former Mayor Guerrera said the recently closed prisons in Cheshire and Mansfield would be much better spots because they had fences around them and were not in residential neighborhoods. 

The nursing home at 60 West St. is surrounded by single family homes.

Guerrera said he would call Rocky Hill Patch late Saturday night with an update but the session worked into the wee hours of the morning so he was not available for comment.

Stay tuned to Rocky Hill Patch to follow Guerrera's fight for Rocky Hill in the case of the nursing home at 60 West St. 

To read more on the issue and debate, go here.