Sec. 6. EXTERIOR ARCHITECTURAL OR ADVERTISING FEATURES; CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS. (a) No person shall construct any exterior architectural or advertising feature in the Old Galveston Quarter, or reconstruct or alter any such feature now or hereafter in said Quarter, until such person shall have filed with the Secretary of the Commission an application for a certificate of appropriateness in such form and with such plans, specifications and other material as the Commission may from time to time prescribe and a certificate of appropriateness shall have been issued as hereinafter provided in this Section.

(b) Within fifteen (15) days after the filing of an application for a certificate of appropriateness, Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays excluded, the Commission shall determine the estates deemed by it to be materially affected by such application and, unless a public hearing on such application is waived in writing by all persons entitled to notice thereof, shall forthwith cause its secretary to give by mail, postage prepaid, to the applicant, to the owners of all such estates as they appear on the then most recent real estate tax list, and to any person filing written request for notice of hearings, such request to be renewed yearly in December, reasonable notice of a public hearing before the Commission on such application.

(c) As soon as conveniently may be after such public hearing or the waiver thereof, but in all events within thirty (30) days, Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays excluded, after the filing of the application for the certificate of appropriateness, or within such further time as the applicant may in writing allow, the Commission shall determine whether the proposed construction, reconstruction or alteration of the exterior architectural feature involved will be appropriate to the preservation of the Old Galveston Quarter for the purposes of this Act, and whether, notwithstanding that it may be inappropriate, owing to conditions especially affecting the structure involved, but not affecting the Old Galveston Quarter generally, failure to issue a certificate of appropriateness will involve a substantial hardship to the applicant and such a certificate may be issued without substantial detriment to the public welfare and without substantial derogation from the intent and purposes of this Act. In passing upon appropriateness, the Commission shall consider, in addition to any other pertinent factors, the historical and architectural value and significance, architectural style, general design, arrangement, texture, material and color of the exterior architectural feature involved and the relationship thereof to the exterior architectural features of other structures in the immediate neighborhood.

(d) If the Commission determines that the proposed construction, reconstruction or alteration of the exterior architectural feature involved will be appropriate, or, although inappropriate, owing to conditions as aforesaid, failure to issue a certificate of appropriateness will involve substantial hardship to the applicant and issuance thereof may be made without substantial detriment or derogation as aforesaid, or if the Commission fails to make a determination within the time hereinbefore prescribed, the secretary of the Commission shall forthwith issue to the applicant a certificate of appropriateness. If the Commission determines that a certificate of appropriateness should not issue, the Commission shall forthwith spread upon its records the reasons for such determination and may include recommendations respecting the proposed construction, reconstruction or alteration. Thereupon the secretary of the Commission shall forthwith notify the applicant of such determination, transmitting to him an attested copy of the reasons and recommendations, if any, spread upon the records of the Commission.