The north Fulton city of Milton is facing its first major legal battle challenging the lifestyle it was created to preserve.

A developer is suing the city to reverse a decision last month that prohibits it from building an upscale apartment complex along Deerfield Parkway, one of the city’s main commercial corridors.

This is Milton’s first big land-use skirmish and possibly the most important. If the court sides with the developer, Crescent Resources, it could open the door to the type of development city founders hoped to avoid when they incorporated six years ago.

A story in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution explores what the case could mean and whether Milton can hope to preserve its rural nature. Subscribers can read the full story in today's edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution or on the AJC's iPad app. Subscribe today.