Soylent CEO still hasn’t removed remnants of shipping-container home, prosecutor says
With Los Angeles prosecutors bearing down over his unsightly shipping container of a home, Soylent Chief Executive Robert Rhinehart took action.
He removed the giant structure from his hilltop property in July and apologized for disrupting neighbors with his housing experiment. But since then, Rhinehart has failed to take the final steps needed to avoid up to two years in jail for unpermitted development.
City prosecutor Michelle McGinnis told a court Tuesday that building and safety inspectors continue to find Rhinehart’s property out of compliance. An inspection Monday revealed pylons and graffiti at the Montecito Heights site, perched on what locals know as Flat Top hill.
It’s unclear why Rhinehart hasn’t finished clearing the 8,400-square-foot property. Attorney Richard Kaplan, appearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of Rhinehart, declined to comment.
Rhinehart is expected to receive a lesser penalty if he pleads guilty to several code violations, but he can’t do that until he’s in compliance. The next check-in is scheduled for March 8.
Turning shipping containers into shops or livable spaces has become trendy. But Rhinehart’s property drew scorn from neighbors, who’ve said he didn’t spend much time actually living there. That turned it into a target for vandals near a popular sunset-gazing spot.
More than anything, neighbors expressed frustration that Rhinehart bypassed permitting processes many of them had to endure. He has said he has broader vision for the Montecito Heights land, but hasn’t revealed details.
The case has been only one facet of a difficult few months for Soylent.
The Los Angeles start-up, formally Meow Global Networks Inc., sells several food products designed to be a more efficient take on traditional meals. Instead of cooking a full plate of food, Soylent customers can fill themselves with a milky substance that includes soy, vitamins, minerals and algal oil. The company contends it’s everything a person needs for nutrition.
But the business recalled two product lines this fall after determining that some ingredients may have been sickening consumers. Soylent plans to reformulate those offerings.
Twitter: @peard33
