Kanye West Lacks Permits for the Prototype Housing Units He Built

At the end of July, news got around that Kanye West had built some "Star Wars"-looking structures on 300 acres he owns in Calabasas in Southern California.

"Sources familiar with the project tell TMZ ... Kanye is building dome-like structures that are prototypes for a new type of home ... homes he believes will break the barriers that separate classes ... namely, the rich, the middle class and the poor," according to an article on TMZ dated July 31.

A lot of sites picked up the news: Vice, Slate, Forbes, Dwell. The idea seemed to be building momentum from an idea first pitched a year ago under the auspices of the company Yeezy Home architecture studio. In an interview filmed in May 2018, West talked about his ambitions to become, "one of the biggest real-estate developers of all time, what Howard Hughes was to aircrafts and what Henry Ford was to cars…."

Since the first appearances of the domed structures on West's property in Calabasas, however, "several neighbors have complained to the L.A. County Department of Public Works," according to a follow up TMZ article, posted on August 5.

Now West has 45 days to submit plans to the county and get building permits, or else. "The 'or else' -- tear them down," reports the article.

TMZ has also been doing some old fashioned gumshoe reporting on the subject, filling in these details on the developing story:

"A source close to Kanye tells TMZ ... the structures were always intended to be temporary, because they're simply prototypes. The source says they are in touch with the County and intend to comply with the requirements. And, the source adds, the concrete base was necessary to secure the structure for safety and structural reasons but will eventually be removed along with the structures."