Case Name: Charlotte S. ARNOLD, Robert B. Forbush and Mary W. Forbush, his wife, Appellants, v. JLM INVESTMENT ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, f/k/a JLM Associates Limited Partnership, a foreign limited partnership, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2000-06-28
Citations: 762 So. 2d 993
Docket Number: No. 4D99-4061
Parties: Charlotte S. ARNOLD, Robert B. Forbush and Mary W. Forbush, his wife, Appellants, v. JLM INVESTMENT ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, f/k/a JLM Associates Limited Partnership, a foreign limited partnership, Appellee.
Judges: GUNTHER and GROSS, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 762
Pages: 993–994

Head Matter:
Charlotte S. ARNOLD, Robert B. Forbush and Mary W. Forbush, his wife, Appellants, v. JLM INVESTMENT ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, f/k/a JLM Associates Limited Partnership, a foreign limited partnership, Appellee.
No. 4D99-4061.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
June 28, 2000.
Alfred A. Lasorte, Jr., and Jane M. Gordon of Jonas & Lasorte, West Palm Beach, for appellants.
James S. Telepman of Cohen, Norris, Scherer, Weinberger & Wolmer, North Palm Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
FARMER, J.
The trial court properly admitted evidence to explain an ambiguity arising from the following provision from the Declaration of Restrictions for Jonathan's Landing:
"That area designated as a marina in the Southeast portion of the Master Land Use Plan shall be operated as a marina for the purchase, sale, storage, docking, care, maintenance and repairing of boats or any lawful business incident thereto." [e.s.]
The meaning of the phrase "or any lawful business incident thereto" is not clear. What constitutes a business "incidental" to a marina is not subject to a single meaning as a matter of law.
We distinguish our decision in Stuart Sportfishing Inc. v. Kehoe, 541 So.2d 169 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989), where the limiting provisions was:
"light marine related business such as marine- electronics, sales of new and used boats, ships store, marine canvas, bait shop, and/or similar ones which would be permitted under the current zoning of the property." [e.s.]
We applied the principle of ejusdem gener-is because the listing following the initial term was intended to constitute a limitation to the "light marine related business."
In the present case, the additional phrase "or any lawful business incident thereto" was intended to introduce an additional category of "incidental" uses. A restaurant/bar can legally be not related to a "light marine" business but at the same time factually "incidental" to a standard (i.e., not "light") marine usage, as defined by the provision we construe today.
The evidence at trial supports the trial judge's conclusion that a 100-seat restaurant and bar could be reasonably incidental to the operation of a "marina for the purchase, sale, storage, docking, care, maintenance and repairing of boats."
AFFIRMED.
GUNTHER and GROSS, JJ., concur.