Powerful unions and emotional stories about individual circumstances unfortunately have delayed the inevitable closure of the Fircrest School for the developmentally disabled.

Instead of proceeding to an orderly shutdown of the state-run facility in Shoreline, Gov. Christine Gregoire has acquiesced to an expensive study of a vastly more expensive anachronism. Fircrest consumes tax dollars that could be better spread to more developmentally disabled people and their families in community settings.

As some 22,000 clients receive care through the state, another 9,000 are on a waiting list for everything from medical attention to respite care. Fircrest houses perhaps 200 on its sprawling, suburban campus.

Fircrest's residential concept went out of fashion with families who used court rulings and changing times to argue for, and seek out, less-structured settings.

No client would be denied care with Fircrest's closure, but the state would retain the right to elect what type of care is offered. For some, it would mean transfer to other state facilities; for others, it would be a community setting; and for the medically fragile, it might be specialty nursing care.

Closing Fircrest saves money over the long term, though it does incur transition costs and spending to spruce up other state facilities. The savings over time are real, and used properly they could trim down that long waiting list.

The Legislature approved $182,000 to pay for Gov. Gregoire's study. That would have paid for a lot of respite care for stressed families who need a break from intensive routines at home. Even in limbo, Fircrest consumes scarce resources.

Closure must not be impeded by anecdotes and solvable problems.

For example, if elderly parents need a ride to see a son or daughter who has been transferred south to Rainier School in Buckley, then organize a vanpool. That is more manageable than keeping the lights on, the roof repaired and the lawn mowed at Fircrest.