"Kawakawa Bay offers an idyllic environment in which to raise children, retire, or simply escape the rat race.
"Astute developers will recognise that the home-buying market has been starved of master-planned developments offering these kinds of benefits."
Coburn says there are no other substantial residential opportunities in the area, with most of the surrounding farms retaining their Rural zoning under the Unitary Plan.
"The Ferndale Drive property is the largest 'live zoned' residential development site in Kawakawa Bay, and the only site of scale," he says.
"Substantial development of the site could easily be accommodated by the area's current infrastructure."
Coburn says the north-facing, flat site is at the eastern end of Kawakawa Bay, about 300m from the beach.
"It is framed by farmland and hills to the west, while the outlook to the east is of traditional low height and density housing, which separates the property from the bay itself," he says.
"The site has a stream and established oak grove. This provides ample opportunity to create a communal reserve, including a walking path to Kawakawa Bay alongside the stream.
"The property also offers road access points on both Ferndale Drive and Kawakawa-Orere Rd, with some 400m of frontage on the latter. This offers excellent exposure to any new development, as well as multiple development staging options."
Kawakawa Bay, about 57km from Auckland's CBD, is renowned for its beaches, natural environment and the lifestyle.
"This offers a real opportunity for a lifestyle-driven development that aligns with the values of the so-called 'Lohas' market - among the fastest growing consumer segments in the developed world," Coburn says.
He says Lohas stands for 'lifestyles of health and sustainability' and has been described by the New York Times as "the biggest market never heard of".
Colliers site sales broker James Appleby says the bay offers an attractive harbour, excellent boating and fishing.
"It has several beautiful beaches, some easily accessible and well-known, and some secluded, both perfect for swimming and other water activities. Public parks with large native bush areas provide walking tracks and mountain bike trails."
Appleby says the site is close to three Regional Parks - Tawhitokino, Tapapakanga, and Waitawa - which all offer stunning beaches and a range of activities. "For the more adventurous, the popular Fourforty Mountain Bike Park is just five minutes away," he says.
"Other activities in the area include Te Ara Moana Kayak Trail, the Kawakawa Bay Boat Club, Waitawa Disc Golf Course and horse riding."
Colliers' site sales broker Cherry Higginson says the agency and the Ferndale Drive vendors have prepared a development scheme in accordance with its Residential Single House zoning.
"This zoning under the Unitary Plan is designed to accommodate primarily standalone one or two-level houses," she says.
"Lot sites are averaged at 600sq m, with a minimum of 480sq m and maximum average of 720sq m.
"Our development scheme shows 110 sites ranging from 480sq m to 1273sq m would be possible. This level of development would complement Kawakawa Bay's existing residential mix."
Higginson says recent sales demonstrate the level of desirability and affluence the area attracts.
"Developers should take comfort that a premium new development will attract premium pricing," she says.
Preliminary geotechnical advice indicates there are no insurmountable geotechnical hazards. Stormwater would likely be managed through rain gardens and reticulation to the main stream, which forms part of a proposed reserve that would divide the two stages of development.
Watercare's Kawakawa Bay wastewater treatment plant is consented to treat 180cu m of wastewater per day. Evidence given at a recent Unitary Plan meeting shows it runs well below capacity, treating 65cu m a day from 254 connections, and can accept more connections.
