The Cape Community Arena is one step closer to transforming into a covered open-air arena.

Earlier this month, the Town Council gave the Cape Community Arena Group the go-ahead to pursue permits, a first step in a lengthy process. Julie Furt, chair of the CCAG board, expects the permitting process to last until March or April of next year.

Currently, the CCAG operates a seasonal, open-air rink on Gull Crest Drive that offers open skates, youth and adult hockey leagues and community events. But Furt said it’s not sustainable. Because it’s not a covered structure, there are frequent closures due to unruly weather conditions. And a permanent facility would extend the skating season by two months.

The timeline of construction depends on fundraising, Furt said. The arena is privately funded, and she estimates that the project will cost $5 million.

Furt said that the construction will be broken into phases as the group raises money. The first phase would be to lay a concrete foundation to replace the gravel base. The second phase would install a roof. The third phase would include constructing an amenities building complete with indoor bathrooms, changing rooms, viewing areas and a concession stand. Furt said that it is too early to estimate when the permanent structure would be completed.

The group is serious about moving forward. It’s already ordered its own chiller, which is due to arrive in October. Though it has a hefty price tag of $250,000, the CCAG considers it a worthwhile investment.

Currently, the group spends $16,000 a month to rent the equipment and $9,000 a season to move it in and out of the rink with a crane. With a chiller of its own, the arena will be set for 30 years, with occasional maintenance needed. The group has fundraised $200,000 so far and hopes to secure the remaining $50,000 before the chiller arrives.

The construction plans are still in an infant stage, and there are many factors the group will take into consideration.

Lisa Derman, a member of the Gull Crest Garden Committee, said that she welcomes the rink but worries about how the construction and operation will impact the nearby garden. The community garden, featuring 40 plots, has been on the same parcel of land for 25 years.

At a Town Council workshopping meeting in early June, Derman asked that the CCAG build something to absorb runoff from the arena and the parking lot and that it develop a containment system for the refrigerant chemicals used in the chiller, all in an effort to protect the garden. And she asked that all trees planted on the site be shrubs or low-hanging trees to not interrupt the garden’s sun.

Representatives of the CCAG said that they intend to work with gardeners to address these concerns. Though the project is in its early design stages, John Mitchell, of Mitchell & Associates, said that they plan to build rain gardens or shallow depressions filled with wetland plants to soak up runoff. And Scott Liston, town liaison for the CCAG, said that the group purchased the safest chiller, with all the tubing encased in cement.

Rachel Stamieszkin, who’s been gardening at Gull Crest for 20 years, requested that gardeners have a seat at the table in future decision-making, as neighbors on the land.

“Many gardeners are skaters, too,” she said.