The Development Tracker is a map‑based dashboard that lets the public see what development projects approved and in progress in their community. We use the Development Tracker to make the development review process more transparent and easier to follow.
The Development Tracker is not a real-time forecast. It is updated every four months and provides information on projects that have received Planning Board approval but are not yet built. The Tracker offers a snapshot of potential future growth and reflects only the planning phase, not permitting or construction.
Projects typically enter the Development Tracker after Preliminary Plan or standalone Site Plan approval. Projects at earlier phases, such as Sketch Plans or environmentally focused applications like Forest Conservation Plans, are not included. The Development Tracker categorizes residential units as single-family (detached homes and townhouses) or multifamily (two-over-twos, condos, and apartments) and tracks approved commercial space by type and square footage. Projects remain in the Tracker until construction is complete or approvals expire.
Because the Development Tracker only captures Planning approvals, it does not track permitting, construction, or other steps beyond the Planning Department’s role. After Planning approvals, additional steps, such as financing, detailed engineering documents and building permits, must occur before construction can begin. These processes involve multiple agencies and can take significant time, which is why projects often remain in the Development Tracker for years.
Explore the Development Tracker Dashboard
The Development Tracker provides two views of projects with approved but unbuilt residential units and commercial square footage in Montgomery County:
- Unbuilt Projects with FULL Planning Approvals
These projects have secured all necessary Planning approvals and are positioned to advance toward permitting. - Unbuilt Projects with ANY Planning Approvals
This broader view includes all projects with at least one Planning approval, such as Preliminary Plans or standalone Site Plans.
The interactive dashboard lets you easily filter between views to see where unbuilt projects and those with all Planning approvals are located in the County. You can click on projects on the map or on the table to get details about unit types, unbuilt commercial square footage, and approval dates. All information can be downloaded directly from the dashboard and is also listed below.
September 2025: Development Tracker
The Montgomery County Development Tracker (spreadsheet) contains residential and non-residential approved projects by master plan. Expand each master plan to get project-record level details by clicking the plus (+) button to left of the “Master Plan” row. If you unhide columns “A” through “F” you can manipulate the data by master plan, policy area, traffic zones, submittal date, and Adequate Public Facility (APF) expiration date.
- September 2025: Development Tracker by Master Plan
- September 2025: Development Tracker Record Level Detail
- September 2025: Development Tracker Master Plan Summary
If you need further assistance/questions or find a problem with downloads, please contact Gabe Patterson-King: gabriel.pattersonking@montgomeryplanning.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
A project is added to the Development Tracker once it receives a valid development approval from the Planning Board, typically a preliminary plan and/or site plan, and has not yet been fully built. These projects remain in the Tracker if their approvals are active and the approved housing units or non-residential space have not been completed.
A project is removed from the Tracker when all approved units or square footage are built, when the project’s approval expires, or when the applicant decides not to move forward after approval and does not take the final step of certifying their plans. In each case, removal reflects that the project is no longer actively eligible for development under its existing approval.
The Department of Permitting Services (DPS) tracks when building permits are pulled; however, there is often a lag in when this data is reported and shared, so the Tracker does not reflect construction activity in real time. Montgomery Planning relies on field observations from its forest conservation enforcement staff to inform updates. As part of their regular responsibilities enforcing forest conservation laws, easements, and site plan conditions of approval, inspectors visit development sites and report whether construction has begun. These site visits occur three times a year, and their observations are shared with our research and data team to help keep the Tracker as current and reliable as possible.
The Development Tracker is an important transparency tool, but it is not a guarantee of future housing delivery. It shows projects that have received Planning Board approvals, yet many factors, such as financing, market conditions, and infrastructure, determine whether and when those projects are built. Some may take years to complete, and others may never move forward.
Montgomery County’s housing strategy goes beyond what’s in the Tracker. The county uses a “more of everything” approach that combines new construction, preservation of existing affordable housing, and policy tools to increase supply across all income levels. The Tracker supports this effort by providing insight into potential development, but it represents only one piece of a much larger housing strategy.
Projects often remain in the pipeline for years because Planning approval is only the first step in the larger development process. A 2024 Montgomery Planning evaluation found that just 50% of projects approved in 2018 were built six years later. Of unbuilt housing units in this analysis, more than 10,600 (36%) were approved over a decade ago, indicating that many may never be constructed but are counted until their approvals expire.
Delays happen for many reasons, including financing challenges, shifting market conditions, and changes in property ownership. The same 2024 evaluation found that most unbuilt units—about 87%, are in large multifamily rental buildings. While these projects are important for meeting rental demand, they do not address the county’s need for more diverse housing types and expanded homeownership opportunities.