Lecompton ? A Lawrence developer is seeking help from the city of Lecompton to spur his plans for a residential development south of the city.

J. Stewart, whose development plans for 200 acres of a 300-acre tract of land have been on hold for several years, asked the Lecompton City Council to negotiate an agreement with Rural Water District No. 6 to purchase bulk water that could be used to start development of residences and businesses in the area.

“This is my last effort to make a development work with Lecompton,” Stewart told council members during their meeting Monday night.

The development area is outside Lecompton’s city limits, but Stewart hopes if a water agreement is reached the city eventually will annex the area. That area is east of County Road 1029 and south of North 1851 Diagonal Road.

Stewart said if a water agreement was reached he would put up the water tower and do just about anything else that would be needed.

Stewart said he had slightly altered his development plan since it was first introduced about five years ago. It includes 30 to 35 residences on 3.5- to 4-acre lots, plus land for five or six businesses. His earlier plan called for bigger lots.

None of the City Council members expressed outright opposition to Stewart’s proposal. Mayor Roy Paslay said he was willing to talk with rural water district officials himself or have the city’s attorney, Larry Hendricks, talk with them.

City Council members Tim McNish and Mark Tunstall said that they also were willing to look into a water agreement.

“I don’t have a problem with doing this, but I don’t want a Western Hills,” he said, referring to an area of Lawrence that was once annexed.

Stewart said he would like to be ready to start construction in the area in the summer or fall.

In 1999 Stewart approached Lecompton officials about a development that would have led to 2,000 new houses, businesses, a new school, pool and a trailer park.

Paslay said the council would inform Stewart when it decided what it wanted to do.