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Twenty two Auckland Council-owned properties located in a row on a busy section of Whangaparaoa Road are now on the market, heightening fears that they could be amalgamated and sold for development.
The process of putting them up for sale began three years ago, and was first made public by Hibiscus Matters.
The properties, at 472-502 Whangaparaoa Road and 4 Brightside Road, were originally purchased for road widening by the former Rodney District Council.
The sites are zoned Residential – Single House and together make up 13,520sqm.
Council’s property arm, Panuku Development, told the paper last November that it was not expecting interest in purchasing multiple sites for large scale development due to the steepness of the land and because plan changes would be needed to alter the zoning.
However, in its marketing, Bayleys states that the land comprises two blocks and a single site which “can be purchased individually, in any combination, or as one consolidated holding”.
This has Cr Wayne Walker worried. He has worked behind the scenes for years to mitigate the sale with provision of alternative access off Brightside Road and improvements to the intersection of Brightside and Whangaparaoa Roads, fearing the impact that an intensive development in this location could have.
Although there were boundary adjustments made, potentially providing more land for an accessway, Cr Walker says he has got no further with Auckland Transport, Panuku or Council.
“It’s incredibly disappointing,” he says.
Government’s Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, which became law last December, allows up to three houses of up to three storeys to be built on a residential zoned site without resource consent. More can be built, subject to a on-notified consent.
“The land would need significant retaining, but there are impressive views which could make it worthwhile for developers,” Cr Walker says. “Worst case scenario is an intensive development.”
Bayleys began marketing the properties on February 11 – they are for sale by tender, closing March 16.
The proceeds of sale will go back into the Council coffers to fund capital projects or debt.
