(a) Until plans therefor are submitted to and acted upon by the Virgin Islands Historic Preservation Commission, no building or structure, including stone walls, fences, paving and steps, may be erected, reconstructed, altered, restored, moved, or demolished within any Historic and Architectural Control District or affecting any building, site, or place listed in the Registry; and no sign, light, fence, wall, or other appurtenant fixture may be erected or displayed on any lot or on the exterior of any building or structure located within said Control District or listed in the Registry; and no building or other permit may be granted for any such purpose within the said Control District or pertaining to any building, site, or place listed in the Registry.
(b) Nothing in this subchapter may be construed so as to prevent the ordinary maintenance and repair of any architectural feature in any Historic and Architectural Control District or listed in the Registry which does not involve a change in design, material, color, or the outward appearance thereof; nor may prevent the construction, reconstruction, alteration, or demolition of any such feature which the Commissioner of Planning and Natural Resources shall certify is required by the Public Safety because of unsafe or dangerous condition; nor may prevent the construction, reconstruction, alteration, or demolition of any such feature under a permit issued by the Commissioner of Planning and Natural Resources prior to the effective date of the establishment of any said Control District or Registry entry.
(c) The provisions of this subchapter do not limit, restrict, or impede in any respect the construction, reconstruction, renovation, alteration, restoration, or decoration of the interior by the owner of any building or structure, unless such building or structure is specifically listed in the Registry.