Pepe Ridge, the $18 million housing project billed as Tairua’s last residential development, has sold 60% of its 44 sections.

Bayleys Real Estate agent Sandie Faiers said the development involved “an astronomical” amount of earthworks, with heavy machinery clearing the hill after work began in 2023.

Titles are expected to be issued in a few weeks.

Houses at Pepe Ridge are limited to a single storey and must follow strict guidelines for colours and landscaping, according to Bayleys agent Heather Sturgeon.

“You are not going to have a purple or a pink house up here,” she said.

Construction for Pepe Ridge on Azimuth Road started in 2021 with the clearing of the hill. Photo / Tom Eley

The premium subdivision offers sweeping views over Tairua Harbour and generous spacing between homes.

“You are not going to have another house blocking your view,” Sturgeon said.

Buyers must submit their designs for developer approval before breaking ground.

Developers hope construction can begin within two months, Faiers said.

Pepe Ridge directors, from left, Jason and John Carruthers, and Jeremy Disher. Photo/ Al Williams

The $18 million housing development is led by John and Jason Carruthers and Jeremy Disher.

The project had been in the pipeline for close to three years, held up in part due to Covid-19 and road damage to State Highway 25A due to Cyclone Gabrielle.

Construction commenced in October 2023.

The land that Pepe Ridge sits on was purchased in October 2021.

More than 50 people were involved in the project, working alongside local and regional authorities.

The development included a flood plan and erosion control, with stormwater caught on site and drip-fed, Disher said.

“Pepe Ridge is ideal for holiday homes, retirees or young families seeking an escape from the city. It is an amazing place,” Sturgeon said.

Faiers said with Tairua landlocked, any new development would be at the mercy of the council. She said any further developments of this size are unlikely without expansion of residential boundaries.

“Which is doubtful.”

The development is planned in two stages.

The first stage is underway, while the second, yet to be determined, will feature fewer, larger lifestyle blocks.

Stage two will see 25ha of the northern end of the block developed

“There will be fewer [lots], and just larger sections,” Faiers said.

Pepe Ridge scheme map.

Faiers and Sturgeon have guided multiple groups on “open homes” of the empty sections, where prospective homeowners explore the area with a map and their dreams in mind.

The site was previously a large farm, and developers have ensured city services are connected to the new development.

Pepe Ridge will be enhanced with 30,000 native plants to create a unique ecological landscape, Sturgeon said.

Schools, beaches, restaurants and Tairua Golf and Country Club are all within a five-minute drive.

Tom Eley is a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. He previously worked for the Weekend Sun and Sunlive.