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referred to as "the plans," through the Downtown Design Guidelines and issuance of certificates of appropriateness. (c) The committee shall meet on a regular basis as provided for in the Downtown Design Guidelines or when called upon by the chairman or by at least two members of the committee. (d) The committee shall appoint a chairman and vice-chairman from among its members and a secretary who shall be an employee of the city planning commission. (e) The committee may employ a consultant and seek advice from any city departments as it deems it necessary. Sec. 40-179.1. Certificate Issuance Authority. (a) Certificate of appropriateness. The Downtown Design Committee shall have the power and the duty to issue or deny a certificate of appropriateness all proposed building and development on properties within the downtown districts so designated on the zoning map. The certificate of intent shall contain specifications for use, building, height, bulk, location (including setback requirements), required parking space, landscaping, signs and other design features of all buildings and other improvements to be constructed, erected or reconstructed in the downtown districts. (b) Limitation. Nothing in this article shall be construed to prevent the owner of such building, structure or property in the Downtown districts from performing any maintenance, alteration or painting to the external architectural features of such building, structure or property which does not involve a change in design, material, color or the outward appearance thereof and which maintenance, painting or alteration is of such nature that it may be lawfully effected without a permit from the city manager, provisions of this article to the contrary notwithstanding, nor to prevent any repair, maintenance, painting, demolition or alteration of any such feature which the building official shall certify to be required by the public safety because of any unsafe or dangerous condition. (c) Further limitation. The committee shall not consider detailed designs, interior arrangements or features of a building or structure which are not subject to public view from a public street, public way or other public place, and shall not make any requirements except for the purpose of preventing developments incongruous to the historic aspects of the surroundings and the downtown districts. 5. That Sections 40-50.15, 40-60.8, 40-65.3, 40-65.8, 40~71.2, and 40-171.1 of the Code of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia be amended and reordained to read as follows: Sec. 40-50.15. Minimum criteria for district designation. The following minimum criteria must exist for designation of a W -I district: (1) Minimum land area. The proposed district shall contain at least one contiguous acres. The proposed district may contain roadways, and the area of roadways may be included in the district's area calculation. Additional parcels under one acres in size that are contiguous to an