The 11 councilors present voted to allow formal consideration of a moratorium. Councilor Loretta Smith was absent. Under state land-use rules, the vote allows the city to discuss and vote on a moratorium no sooner than 45 days later. No moratorium has been adopted.

Councilors Sameer Kanal and Elana Pirtle-Guiney introduced the measure. Pirtle-Guiney said a temporary pause could give the city time to update its code for facilities associated with a new kind of delivery service. She emphasized that a moratorium would not permanently rule out drone deliveries.

Amazon applied last month for a land-use permit to build a drone-delivery base at its warehouse in North Portland’s District 2. The company had been scheduled to meet with city permitting staff next week to review its request, but canceled Tuesday and had not rescheduled, a city spokesperson said.

The plans have prompted concern from residents living near the warehouse in East Columbia, just north of the Columbia Slough. Neighbors have raised questions about noise, privacy and environmental effects, issues reported in communities where drone deliveries already operate.

Jessica Marquez, speaking for the Kenton Neighborhood Association, told councilors that approving a facility could establish a precedent for future applications. She urged the council to use the opportunity to consider a pause before the city makes decisions that could be difficult to reverse.

Amazon says its program is designed to deliver items weighing less than 5 pounds within a 7.5-mile radius of a distribution center. The company operates the service in 11 U.S. cities. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.