ARLINGTON – Nobody appreciates a covered outdoor stage more than performers.

So much so that two musicians with roots in Arlington are volunteering their time and donating materials to build a covered stage in downtown Legion Park.

Johnny Green, of cowboy band Johnny Green and The Pack String, and his friend, Darrin Massingale, a musician who has performed with headline acts, struck a positive note with the City Council on Monday when they unveiled their proposal.

After council approval, Green said they plan to get contractors to help right away and have the stage ready in time for the July 4 Street Fair.

Green and Massingale said the stage would be a wooden-frame structure 24 feet across by 16 feet deep, with a concrete deck, river rock trim and ADA ramp access also useful for rolling band gear onto the stage.

The mayor and council were impressed.

“The design looks wonderful,” Mayor Barb Tolbert said. “This is a great gift to the city.”

The stage, to be located in the southwest corner of the park, would have access to nearby metered power, and a panel board for multiple plug-ins, recreation manager Sarah Lopez said. She said it also will feature a lighting bar across the top of the stage.

Lopez is excited about the new addition.

“We’ve wanted a permanent stage for the last five years,” she said. In the past, event coordinators have either had to rent a stage or bring in a flatbed trailer.

Lopez said the park is getting used a lot more by different groups, and in August, conditions are hot and unshaded.

Green and Massingale presented their idea and designs to the Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission, and members recommended approval. Green has great contact with contractors, and Massingale with his touring performances knows what the important features are for a stage.

The duo have been working closely with the city building department, Lopez said.

The Recreation Department is also requesting authorization from the council to apply for a $5,000 Snohomish County Small Capital Project Partnership Grant to help with construction supplies.