LEARN ABOUT SOME OF OUR
Case Studies
RC Homes: "Roscoe"
A power utility could not agree on a conflicting set of rules, telling builder they must relocate project switchgear from front to rear yard. C of O was due that week and buyers set to move in. Seawolf got resolved this in 3 business days without having to move equipment.
Greenpointe: “Kentish Town”
New buyer to close within one week, contingent upon C of O. C of O had been promised in one week but already taken 45 days. Seawolf was hired only to obtain C of O within 5 business days, but upon engagement with City utility, discovered the cause of the delays: open grading, plumbing, and supplemental structural permits. If the delays weren’t resolved in 5 days, the buyer was ready to walk away. Seawolf got the grading permit issue resolved in two days; plumbing in one day. The supplemental permit, which required a new submittal, was reviewed and approved in two business days. C of O was issued within 5 days.
Gibson Overseas: “South Fig”
After all utility project approvals had been given and final inspections were to begin, a rogue utility inspector appeared onsite and documented that, among 19 other corrections, the project’s bus duct needed to be relocated and the coldwater grounding needed to be reworked. Seawolf's diplomatic resolutions allowed the project to continue without litigation.
Gemdale: “235 N Hoover”
Client was set to begin trenching, but utility was doing trunkline water work on the same street when they arrived. Initial review revealed builder would have to re-do power design process, moving trench 5 feet from water line. Seawolf brought water and electric departments together in 3 days, identifying and resolving an issue which could have otherwise taken months.
Meritage: “Cabrilla”
Gas utility parts shortages were making builders wait 2+ months until parts arrived. Seawolf got parts delivered and prioritized for the builder, installing parts in 3 days.
RC Homes: “Sage at Ninth”
Utility crews were non-responsive on meter installation date. After weeks of waiting, Seawolf got meters installed in 2 days.
TDC Properties: “Berendo”
After two months waiting for utility inspector to return calls, Seawolf got the inspector to visit the jobsite and approve work the next day.
Carmel Partners: “Bundy Drive”
Expedited City Traffic Control Plan, from quoted 4-6 months to 3 days.
Dry Utility Experts: “West Adams”
Expedited City trenching plan, from quoted 1 month to 5 days.
Crescent Capital: “Gillis House”
Expedited City u-permit issuance, from quoted 4 months to 10 days.
Gemdale: “235 N Hoover”
Expedited review of City department tree conflict with proposed trenching plan, from unknown number of months—but typically 6 or more—to 5 business days. Inspector on-site within 2 days.
Greenpointe: “The Hollywood Flats”
Expedited Utility construction crews beginning work, from quoted 6-8 weeks to 2 days.
TrueLife Companies - "El Sereno"
Services provided:
Grassroots Organizing for Area Planning Commission
Outcome: WIN. Seawolf brought out dozens of supporters who hailed the project, tipping the scales in favor of the builder.
Shea Homes: "Arroyo HP"
Services provided:
Permit expediting
Outcome: WIN. The first hurdle was resolved in two days, and the second within a week.
Watt Communities: "Coolidge Place"
Services provided:
Permit expediting
Outcome: WIN. Identified the bottleneck within one day and obtained C of O within three days.
Watt Communities: "Autry"
Services provided:
Permit expediting
Outcome: WIN. One call to Seawolf opened doors. We resolved the issue within five days.
Fassberg Contracting: "1717 Western"
Services provided:
Permit expediting
Outcome: WIN. Seawolf worked with the local utility to obtain delivery of design in a fraction of the amount of time as originally quoted.
Gibson Overseas: "1400 S Figueroa"
Services provided:
Permit expediting
Outcome: WIN. Seawolf worked with the local utility to obtain a fire pump meter release, get the project energized, and navigated enormous, unforeseen political hurdle.
LINC Housing: "The Spark"
Services provided:
Permit expediting
Outcome: WIN. Seawolf worked with the local utility to obtain power one to two months ahead of schedule…we even beat our own goal by two weeks!
“We recently had a costly bureaucratic delay impacting one of our projects. We called in Christine, and she was able to get us moving again.”
Erik Pfahler
Senior VP
Borstein Enterprises
“Working with Christine has been an absolute treasure. She's extremely knowledgeable and effective in navigating the various agencies that comprise the City of Los Angeles. Time and time again she has added tremendous value and I do not know where our project would have been had it not been for her determination and consistent results. I look forward to working with her on many projects to come!”
Dawil Sully
Managing Partner
Oakwood Development Group
“We hit a wall that only Christine could fix. Seawolf has become a tool we will use again and again.”
Harriet Rapista
VP Project Management
Comstock Homes
"Seawolf’s services were invaluable in our undergrounding and LADWP process, which helped us get our affordable housing project back on track. Seawolf works miracles with the utilities and I highly recommend their services.”
Patrick Meredith
VP Construction
National CORE
“Christine was instrumental in helping our team navigate an extremely convoluted approvals process with various agencies including LADWP, BOE, and LADOT. She put the right people in the room to make the necessary decisions and saved us months of time in the overall schedule. Even our subcontractors, who have worked with these same agencies for decades, were shocked by how quickly we were able to procure approvals with Christine’s help. Christine’s constant communication and intimate knowledge of the system made the process so much more manageable and smooth. We will not hesitate to turn to Christine and Seawolf for any of our other projects in Los Angeles.”
Ed Tung
Director of Development
Carmel Partners
“Seawolf has saved us countless times, shaving 2/3 or more time off processes, and resolving the most difficult conflicts that would have set us back months. We’ll always turn to Seawolf when needed.”
Matt Livingston
President
Ridge Crest Homes
"Christine will always be my go-to problem-solver for all utility/agency bottlenecks and conflicts. She’s saved my life so many times!”
Patric Lynam
Manager of Land Development
Pulte Homes
“Seawolf is a miracle worker for delayed projects! Christine is well-connected and produces immediate results!”
Efrem Joelson
Director of Forward Planning
Meritage Homes
“Seawolf helped us reduce our design time by 67% of the original quote, allowing our project to proceed with no schedule impact. This kept us on track as opposed to experiencing a 1–2-year project delay due to an uncontrollable circumstance.”
Jonathan Law
Director of Development
Gemdale USA
“Don’t get in a tangle. Call Rangel.”
James Woodson
President
TDC Properties
“Seawolf saves us time and money by quickly and efficiently helping us navigate LADBS to pull permits for basic and larger projects. The speed of delivery makes Seawolf a great go-to for any project.”
Scott Mossler
Director of Operations
Westside Habitats
“…disarming and formidable.”
John Scull
Vice President - Land Disposition
Lewis Management Corp
“Christine Rangel is a thoroughly professional and talented individual. For our complex entitlement for a housing project in Los Angeles, Christine not only spoke on our behalf at several public hearings with astute facts and polished demeanor, but then also led a grassroots effort to bring numerous other speakers and stakeholders to speak on our behalf. It made the difference. Highly recommended!”
Rob Flitton
Regional Managing Director
The True Life Companies (2020)
“Seawolf’s CEO is Ms. DWP. She’s THE DWP guru.”
Matt Modrezjewski
VP of Land Development
California Homebuilders (2021)
“Seawolf saved our project when we hit a bureaucratic wall, saving us thousands of dollars. They can do the same for you.”
Jeff Seifert
Construction Manager
Shea Homes (2020)
“I have doing business in L.A. for over thirty years, and although I have many contacts there, Christine was able to leverage her relationships quickly to get us favorable results. She’s at the top of her game and I highly recommend Seawolf's services.”
Randy Johnson
Executive V.P.
Brookfield Properties
“Christine did a wonderful job working with a utility to expedite two of our projects. Her expertise was essential in reducing a 4 week process to under 5 days, and allowed our homeowners to move in on schedule. I will always turn to her for help when dealing with utilities and the City of LA.”
Brett Trebil
Vice President of Operations
Watt Communities (2020)
“Christine has clearly retained the same ‘juice’ she had while at BIA. She’s single-handedly pushed a handful of jobs through that were languishing, costing us thousands per day. One call to Christine and things started moving again. Seawolf is a force to be reckoned with.”
Larry Hoffman
VP/Principal
CDCS Construction Development Constructing Services, LLC
“Christine just helped us get power at one of our buildings and it was, for the first time ever, a smooth process. We build homeless housing and so her work is helping homeless people come inside as soon as possible.”
Monica Mejia
Sr. Director of Housing Development
LINC Housing (2020)
“If you are searching for the right advocate in Los Angeles, Christine Rangel should be at the top of your list. Her knowledge of substantive issues related to building, planning, and a wide range of other local and state issues – combined with strong relationships across the County and business community – makes Seawolf an excellent choice to be your representative to advocate effectively on your behalf.”
Andrew Westall
Chief Deputy
Office of Council President Emeritus Herb Wesson (2020)
“Thank you, Seawolf! Thanks to your advocacy, I just had the best day all year!”
