Boat as guest rental for overnight stays proposed for Medina
Photo by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – A boat that is proposed for a guest rental for overnight stays is tied up in Medina’s Canal Basin. Andrew Meier would like to make the boat available to stay in through Airbnb and Vrbo as a short-term rental.
Meier said the boat would stay stationary in the basin with access to village electric and water. The Village Board is determining a fee for a designated spot at its docks and also for access to the utilities.
“This year is the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal,” Meier told the board during its meeting on Monday. “I think it would put Medina on the map.”
Meier works as an attorney and also owns the Hart House Hotel with nine rooms at 113 West Ave. He also developed the Bunkhaus Hostel with three bedrooms at 511 West Ave., two blocks from the Erie Canal.
The boat could draw visitors to Medina which should be a boost to local restaurants, and those with travel boats, he said.
Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman said a portion of the fee for using the dock gets shared with the NYS Canal Corp. She said she supports having the boat available for overnight stays.
Meier would need to have $2 million liability insurance as part of an agreement with the village, Sherman said.
Brian Hellner, owner of North Star Cruises, has been offering boat rides in the canal at Medina since 2023. He urged villages officials and Meier to make sure the boat is property inspected to ensure the safety of people on board. Meier’s boat is 24 feet long.
Hellner leases dock space from Medina. He said he would appreciate access to water as well to clean his boat. The board said it would agree to that and will discuss a fee for water at the basin.
Sherman told Hellner and Meier she appreciates their efforts to bring services to the canal basin.
“We’re all in this together and want to make Medina a better place,” she said.
Meier said this year is more of a trial with the boat, but so far “the feedback has been very positive.”
