The board is scheduled to vote on the rezoning on Sept. 25, exactly 13 days after the property’s sale during a scheduled Sept. 12 foreclosure auction at the clubhouse. Representatives of Woltz & Associates, the Roanoke auctioneer, told the board that the rezoning would give the eventual buyer the flexibility to pursue a greater variety of developments on the roughly 115-acre property.

The rezoning’s key benefit is the allowance of residences, something that’s prohibited under the current community business designation.

Jim Woltz, president of Woltz & Associates, emphasized the need to begin the rezoning process now when some supervisors voiced reservation about changing the property’s designation after a sale. Interest in the property may drop if potential buyers know golf is the primary use allowed on the property, Woltz said.

Woltz told supervisors that selling the property solely as a golf course and recreational land is difficult in today’s real estate market as golf courses have declined. He said he doesn’t want to enter a situation where a course owner can’t be found and the property expires in 30 days.

“It’s a very high maintenance item,” Woltz said. “We were trying to figure out the best solution to this problem ... This was all done in an attempt to not leave a scar on Montgomery County as failed property.”

The auction will begin by asking for bids on nine separate tracts, but will allow bidders options to either bundle the lots together or place a single bid on all nine lots. A buyer placing a single bid on all the tracts, however, would need to outbid the total of each lot when offered individually.

Woltz & Associates has in its auction promotion advertised the property as capable of holding home sites ranging from three to 24 acres each. The rezoning request could be withdrawn if the new owners decide to keep the golf course open.

Woltz & Associates representatives told the board that there has been interest to keep the property a golf course.