Continued concern about the lack of fit and connectivity between the proposed Coles-DOMA development and the existing Dickson Square outlets has led more than 1600 people to sign a petition calling for the independent analysis.

While a town planner has questioned whether the plans breach precinct codes, Jhay the Cobbler owner Jason Mann said business owners' long-term fears included the design, with internal escalators which meant shoppers would never need to leave the complex.

"The extremely poor connectivity with the rest of the Dickson shopping precinct the proposed design delivers only adds further pain to retailers alongside years of [construction] disruption," he said.

Dickson Health Foods owner Yvonne McQuire said the character of the Dickson Square centre needed to be preserved and shoppers heading to the new Coles and Aldi supermarkets encouraged to visit.

"We're not against it but we want it to be done sympathetically to the Square, it's one of the few remaining outdoor shopping centres of its kind," she said.

The redevelopment of the Woolworths car park will house the two new supermarkets, both facing Woolworths, a five-storey apartment block of 155 units, an underground car park and a large loading dock and waste-collection area facing Antill Street.

"We can foresee traffic backed up down a major road (Antill Street) into Northbourne Avenue - it doesn't seem sensible," Ms McQuire said.

Liberal shadow minister for small business Andrew Wall said he planned to table the petition in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday or Wednesday, and shared the concerns of the business community who wanted to be further consulted on the project.

Planning Minister Mick Gentleman said he was "acutely aware" of concerns raised about the project but was confident these would be addressed by the ACT Planning and Land Authority. He defended the consultation on the project, which drew 59 submissions.

"ACTPLA extended the consultation period by three weeks, effectively doubling the standard period for notification," he said.

"The extension of time and the level of responses shows the Government has communicated well with the community."

Doma Group development general manager Gavin Edgar said Doma and Coles had welcomed the community's feedback and wanted the development - estimated to create 250 jobs during peak construction and 200 retail jobs once completed - to be "appropriate and beneficial" to the Dickson community.

Mr Edgar confirmed a temporary car park would be opened prior to main development works beginning, with final negotiations under way between Coles and the landowner of an alternative location for the carpark after public opposition to the proposed site near the pool.

An ACTPLA spokeswoman said the development application was being assessed but was unlikely to be finalised by the legislated due date of March 25 due to the number of submissions and issues to be considered.