Fran Wilkerson and Marty Allen, owners of Wil-Mar Golf Club and 22 acres of land adjacent to the property have made the decision to sell the land that has been in their family for nearly a century. Before the golf course existed, the land provided a decent living for the family through the growth and sale of tobacco. Now that the town of Knightdale has agreed to spend more than $7 million to run a sewer line to the property, the brother and sister have decided to entertain offers from developers.

The course, located off of Old Milburnie Road near Highway 64, has long been a draw because of its reasonable rates ($18 for 18 holes during the week). As the Triangle has grown, the land has become ripe for development, but without the sewer being available, a developer could only put houses on every ¾ acre. Once the sewer line is run, a developer will be able to put 3 or 4 houses per acre on the land.

The sewer project is still in the preliminary stages, and the estimated cost are in excess of $7 million to do the project, but the town of Knightdale is going to share the cost. If all things go smoothly, the project should be completed in the fall of 2008.

With the completion of I-540 to Highway 64 planned for this fall, this provides a solid infrastructure as Knightdale grows closer to the Raleigh city limits. Dale Crisp, the director of public utilities for Raleigh, says that the addition of the sewer line creates a “backbone” for future development in the area.

The golf course has a tax value of $2.8 million according to Wake County records and is 133 acres. Wilkerson and Allen are currently in talks with four developers but they declined to identify who they are.

The golf course won’t be the only property affected by the sewer line, which lies in the Beaver Damn Creek basin. About 4 miles of sewer line will be put in overall.

As the Triangle continues its unprecedented growth, this may be the next “boom” area once I-540 is complete. There are probably developers chomping at the bit to get their hands on this property. It is in a fantastic location for those that work in Raleigh, or that might use the future I-540 to commute to RTP.