I’ve been menaced so many times by unleashed dogs while jogging on public trails and seen enough smaller people get bitten that I don’t think dogs should ever be unleashed in public areas not specifically intended for them.

I used to have a dog and totally get how nice it would be not to worry about leashes, but human safety has to come first.

The greater context is that neighbours have lodged objections to plans by Prince for a large multi story house on a block of about 1.5 acres or so (IIRC) that's likely not the block with a trail easement (or maybe it is) but it's the block with the neighbours that have dogs.

Everybody is cashed up, some more than others, and there are several paid up media PR pieces that seem to reflect one side or another.

You're correct to avoid this without deeper context, I'm in Australia and wouldn't touch it even if local - there's scope here for everybody and anybody to be either truly aggrieved with cause or a petty vindictive asshole; one of those "best avoided even if you're friends either party or another" situations.