Davis Street in Buckley has ceased to exist.

Members of the City Council easily passed a resolution May 9 that changes the name of the short stretch of pavement to Sergeant Street.

The roadway in question begins at Ryan Road and continues south, and uphill, until it intersects with Spaulding Circle, the primary road serving the Elk Heights neighborhood.

The road was given the Davis Street name when Elk Heights was being planned, partly because there was not a connecting street on the north side of Ryan Road. Now, with the platting of the Perkins Prairie subdivision, Sergeant Street offers a north-south connection that extends into Buckley and meets Dieringer Avenue.

The name change was simple, Mayor Pat Johnson said, because there are no homes on Davis Street. Thus, no one is inconvenienced. The change also is being made for safety reasons, Johnson said, as it will eliminate any confusion for emergency responders.

On another item during their May 9 meeting, members of the Buckley City Council approved a “certificate of applicant match” relating to a pair of recreation projects on the city’s wish list.

The city has applied for grants from the state Recreation and Conservation Office that would help build a splash park near the youth center and aid in the development of a new city park near the senior housing complex.

Both projects are far down on the RCO’s priority list, Johnson said, so the chance of obtaining state funding is quite low. But, to remain eligible, the city had to pass the “applicant match” documents.

Dollar amounts attached to the projects – the city share – are about $164,000 for the splash park and $202,000 for the neighborhood park. In each case, that represents half the anticipated construction cost.