Chris your point about property ownership and being able to do with it as you chose is well made. I am of the same opinion as long my use does not infringe on someone else and their use of their property or interfere with their peace and tranquility. And, I could not agree with you more about house and property maintenance and appearance.
However most STR properties in BV are not short-term conducive for a few reasons; small lot sizes, limited parking, minimal local support facilities/businesses, limited adjacent recreation opportunities.
In view of the narrow property line set backs and the resulting closeness of the house/yards and neighbor houses, interference from property to property is too easily considered infringement of peace and tranquility. Property lot sizes in BV are typically smaller than vacation or party properties and as such present space issues considerably more easily.
STRs regularly result in more occupants than the house can easily contain and therefore activities and noise are escalated again resulting in infringement. As an example; many cars for minimum parking space for each house.
Many houses in BV are homes for permanent residence and short-term rentals are a real distraction and downer for most of them; loud disruptive weekenders, too many vehicles on the street, more traffic on the narrow streets of their hometown. Aggravations they would rather not have.
ALL of this to say, I differ with you this time on using our property as we see fit or to our own choice. I am NOT in favor of Short-Term Rentals in Bayou Vista. NOT even well-regulated ones. Well-regulated ones are nearly impossible to enforce.