91ÊÓƵ

A measure to ban fossil-fuel infrastructure in new low-rise residential buildings in Eugene will appear on the city’s November ballot.

The City Council held a special meeting Wednesday on a prospective referendum petition and took no action, referring the measure to voters.

In early February, the City Council passed an ordinance banning new fossil-fuel infrastructure in new low-rise residential construction. A referendum petition was submitted to the city recorder a few days later. On March 9, the petition signature sheets were submitted to the city recorder’s office to be validated.

The city recorder’s office received certification from Lane County Elections on March 15 that showed the petition contained the required 6,460 valid signatures to refer the measure to the ballot. An estimated 8,192 signatures were collected, according to Lane County Elections.

The next election date for Lane County is Nov. 7.

If approved, the measure would prohibit fossil-fuel infrastructure in new low-rise residential buildings. These are buildings that have not been used or occupied, with a height of no more than three stories above grade that include one or more dwelling units, and where occupants are primarily permanent residents – including but not limited to detached one- and two-family dwellings, townhouses, manufactured dwellings, and multifamily buildings.

Fossil-fuel infrastructure that would be prohibited by the measure includes natural gas piping, fuel oil piping and other fossil-fuel piping or conveyance systems within a building that connects a source of supply to a fossil-fuel-burning appliance. The measure would not prohibit fossil-fuel infrastructure in new mixed-occupancy buildings that include commercial use.

If approved, the measure’s prohibition on fossil-fuel infrastructure in new low-rise residential buildings would apply retroactively to building permit applications, including those necessary to install a new manufactured dwelling, submitted on or after June 30.