Following the natural gas ban decision, local businesses react to possible effects

EUGENE, Ore. -- The Eugene City Council voted to ban natural gas infrastructure in new, low-rise residential construction during a special meeting on Monday.

This ordinance only applies to new, low-rise residential buildings. These are defined as single-family dwellings, duplexes, triplexes, quadraplexes, cottage clusters and any residential structure that is three-stories or less. 

If you bought a home in Eugene five years ago and you want to add a natural gas heater, you still can.

This only affects new homes being built when the ordinance goes into effect in Eugene city limits.

But what if a building is under construction right now, being built with natural gas -- will the permit be revoked? The answer is no, according to Mark Whitmill, the building official with the city. 

MORE: Eugene City Council bans natural gas in new, low-rise residential construction

"The ordinance applies only to new construction, which are buildings that haven't begun construction yet. It actually applies to permit applications for new low-rise residential buildings that are received on or after the Thirtieth of June. So, they are buildings that would likely begin construction at the earliest in mid summer," Whitmill said. 

This new ordinance will also affect local businesses, like 'Viking, Sewing, Vacuum, Spa & Stove' in downtown Eugene.

Scott Hellier has been the owner for about five years. 

"That is definitely going to affect part of our business, we'll be losing out on some of the sales there, that would go to the folks that would be putting in the gas products mainly for the heating products is what we sell," Hellier. 

They sell everything from sewing machines to vacuums, to stoves. Hellier said he did see the vote by city councilors coming, but he hoped he could have been part of that decision. 

"The writing on the wall for me is that they'll be banning more and more of the natural gas in homes eventually," he said. 

But, now that they can't install natural gas appliances in new homes, they still have other ways to meet customer's needs. 

"We'll probably be promoting the same kind of unit but electric, so folks that want the look of a fire can still have something similar with an electric unit," Hellier said. 

The ordinance goes into effect on March 9, and construction officials said the next round of new buildings going up probably won't start being built until mid-summer.