Medina board favors simpler design for new kiosk by canal

The Medina Village Board prefers this simpler design for a new kiosk at the Canal Basin but will have the Village Planning Board pick the design.

MEDINA – The Village Board likes a simple design for a kiosk in the Canal Basin, one that doesn’t have as many panels that would need to be regularly updated.

“It’s a simple shape and it’s to the point,” said Village Trustee Tim Elliott.

The Orleans County YMCA has received a $10,000 grant towards the new kiosk. The proposal from Takeform is $18,500. The village tourism committee will try to raise money to cover the costs above the grant amount.

This kiosk would have four interchangeable panels as well as a map of Medina. It would have a header sign. Another option included eight display areas with multiple flanking panels.

Takeform is working on a final design with more detailed color. That design will be presented to the Village Planning Board for its input. The Village Board on Monday said it would recommend the simpler design, but will have the Planning Board decide on the final design. The kiosk is in a historic district and the Planning Board decides whether projects in the historic district are given a certificate of appropriateness.

Village Trustee Marguerite Sherman said she would like to see the kiosk moved closer to the parking lot in the basin where the former gazebo was. The existing kiosk is under a tree and not very prominent, she said.

That kiosk is about 25 years old and was built as an Eagle Scout project. Sherman said that kiosk has rotted away.

“It’s not looking good,” she said. “It’s an eyesore rather than helping people who are coming to visit. We just want to showboat Medina with this.”