About 100 people rallied to “Save Fircrest” on Saturday, March 1 on the Fircrest campus in Shoreline.
A Senate bill proposes closing the developmentally disabled residential habilitation center and moving its 260 residents to one of the state’s other four institutions, into community settings or to nursing homes. Money from the sale of the property would go into a trust for the state’s developmentally disabled. A hearing was held on the bill March 3.
“I will not let this happen,” said state Rep. Maralyn Chase, D-Edmonds, at the rally. “I believe we can keep this institution open. The state did a real estate study, it did not take into account any other studies. We are up against real estate developers.
“Moving our loved ones into group homes— those are businesses too. Are our loved ones going to get the help they need when it’s driven by a profit motive?” Chase said.
Althea Lute of the Washington Federation of State Employees also spoke at the rally.
“This has always come up each year, and the concern is over the excuse of closing Fircrest to balance the budget. they won’t balance the budget — they still have to place the residents,” Lute said.
“Our concern is not just over our jobs, but also what will happen to the clients. Our most vulnerable clients will be placed in nursing homes or group homes, where available. But there are complaints about nursing homes. If the clients end up in nursing homes, they could die because in nursing homes, there’s not enough staff and large turn-over and the pay is lousy. These clients need to be protected.”
The bill says the state will consult with the families or guardians of the Fircrest residents to chose whether their loved ones will be moved to one of the state’s developmentally disabled residential institutions, into the community or into a nursing home.
Wally Crow, executive director of the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce, told the group that the Chamber is also against the sale of the property and its redevelopment. He encouraged the group to join with the Shoreline Merchants Association which is fighting the city’s design for the widening of Aurora in Shoreline.
In a letter passed around at the rally, Fircrest Plant Manager Jerry Monroe pointed out that asbestos in the buildings and piping all over the Fircrest campus will make the property difficult to sell. He also encouraged the state to look at relocating other agencies onto the property and save money on leases.
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