Sombrero MarshFrom:Marc Rosenberg
To:OSBT-Web
Subject:Sombrero Marsh
Date:Thursday, May 11, 2023 1:07:59 PM
Attachments:Sombrero Marsh - OSBT.docx
External Sender
Thank you for the opportunity to speak during the board’s public meeting on May 10. For the
record, I am attaching a copy of my prepared remarks regarding Sombrero Marsh.
Marc H. Rosenberg
mobile: (703) 356-5766
6213 Reserve Drive
Boulder, CO 80303
May 10, 2023
Remarks by
MARC H. ROSENBERG
To the Open Spaces Board of Trustees
I am concerned that the Open Spaces Board of Trustees (OSBT) is not
mee�ng its obliga�ons as the steward of Sombrero Marsh. Like many
residents of the Reserve neighborhood on the eastern edge of Boulder,
my property abuts Sombrero Marsh. There are two issues regarding the
marsh that require your immediate aten�on.
First, the water level in the marsh has been low for the past six months,
even during periods of ample precipita�on. The Open Spaces and
Mountain Parks (OSMP) authority has water available through an
irriga�on ditch to which it has rights. OSMP apparently drew less water
than usual last fall.
There are two ponds at Sombrero Marsh. The larger, eastern one has
been dry in recent months, o�en being nothing more than a salt pan.
Normally, we see hundreds of migratory waterfowl and raptors each
spring. This year, there were almost none.
Rosenberg – page 2
Community residents have contacted OSMP staff. In reply, we have
been told that your staff is aware of the problem and is thinking about
what could be done, possibly months from now. This sounds a lot like
poli�cians who tell mass-shoo�ng vic�ms that they are in their
thoughts and prayers. This response is not sa�sfactory.
The irriga�on ditch that runs through our community and poten�ally
serves Sombrero Marsh has water in it now. The marsh needs some of
it.
The second issue is that OSBT has been mostly silent about is the
modular-home factory that Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) plans
to build on its property at 6500 Arapahoe. This site overlooks Sombrero
Marsh. The factory’s pending construc�on and its opera�on are direct
threats to the Sombrero Marsh ecosystem.
As federal money is involved, an Environmental Assessment (EA) is
required. The ini�al EA was so riddled with factual and procedural
errors that it was withdrawn. A new EA was issued recently and
currently is open for public comment. While the more egregious factual
errors have been addressed in the revised EA, there s�ll are several
errors of omission which should be of concern to the OSBT.
Like the original, the new EA carefully omits any reference to Sombrero
Marsh which is just a few hundred yards downhill from the proposed
factory site. The dedicated open space that is the buffer between the
BVSD property and the marsh is referred to as “vacant land.”
The revised EA again fails to discuss any alterna�ve loca�ons for the
factory. Perhaps this is because no others were considered.
Rosenberg – page 3
S�ll missing from the revised EA is any meaningful discussion of factory-
related transporta�on issues. BVSD has said repeatedly that all day�me
traffic to/from the factory must run on 63rd Street, a narrow and poorly
maintained road that runs directly along the north side of the marsh.
During the construc�on period – which is not men�oned at all in either
the original or the revised EA – well over a thousand truckloads of fill
and construc�on material will be brought in along 63rd Street. A beter,
alterna�ve route on 65th Street has been ruled out by BVSD because
they fear it would disrupt opera�ons in their parking lot. They have
expressed no similar concern about disrup�ng wildlife in the marsh.
The record is s�ll open for comments on the revised (but s�ll farcical)
EA for the BVSD factory project. I urge the OSBT to speak up for
Sombrero Marsh, to assure that it gets the considera�on that it
deserves.
Likewise, I note that water is now flowing in the irriga�on ditch. Some
of that water needs to go into the marsh now.
OSBT has neglected its responsibili�es regarding protec�on of
Sombrero Marsh. Now, you have two immediate opportuni�es to act on
behalf of this unique wetland area that has been entrusted to your care.
Please act now.
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