Four applicants have filed competing applications with the Certificate of Need Section of the N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation to develop 60 nursing facility beds in Johnston County.

A public hearing for these competing projects will be held at 1 p.m. on Aug. 17 at the Hocutt-Ellington Memorial Library, Meeting Room, 100 South Church St., Clayton.

The 2010 State Medical Facilities Plan (SMFP) identifies the need for 60 additional nursing facility beds in Johnston County. The four applicants are as follows:

• Johnston County Rehabilitation Center proposes to develop a 90-bed facility by developing the 60 beds in the 2010 SMFP and relocating six nursing facility beds and 24 adult care home beds from Liberty Commons in Benson. The project is expected to cost $9.3 million.

• Britthaven of Johnston/Cleveland proposes to develop a 100-bed facility by developing the 60 bed in the 2010 SMFP and relocating 40 nursing facility beds from Britthaven of Smithfield. The project is expected to cost $9.9 million.

• Britthaven of Johnston/Clayton proposes to develop a 100-bed facility by developing the 60 bed in the 2010 SMFP and relocating 40 nursing facility beds from Britthaven of Smithfield. The project is expected to cost $10.6 million.

• Unihealth Post-Acute Care Clayton proposes to develop a 60-bed facility by developing the 60 beds in the 2010 SMFP. The project is expected to cost $7.6 million.